The mourning dove is the most abundant species of dove in the United States, and ranges throughout the US and southern Canada. Named for their mournful “cooah-coo-coo-coo” song, this dove can produce up to six broods per year, the most of any native bird. A wide variety of nest sites are used, and typically two eggs are laid. Parent doves feed their hatchlings nutritious crop milk or “pigeon milk,” which is secreted from their crop lining. Rich with protein and fat, the substance is regurgitated by both parents. As the hatchlings mature, their diet changes to seeds.

Flocks of mourning doves most commonly forage on the ground in open areas, primarily on grain and weed seeds. They prefer winter temperatures above 10 degrees and need a source of open water. Look for mourning doves in the fields of Icicle Valley, and other open fields throughout the Wenatchee Valley.