Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura

Mourning doves are probably a common sight and sound in your neighborhood. They are often seen in pairs, perched on a wire or searching for seeds on the ground. Their call, “coo oo oo ooo,” is often confused with an owl’s. Mourning doves’ wings make a whistling sound when they fly.

Male and female mourning doves share the work of building a nest, sitting on the pair’s egg, and feeding their young. Young mourning doves learn how to fly after only two to three weeks!

Lindsay Wildlife is home to two mourning doves, Zenaida and Lucienne. Zenaida came to Lindsay Wildlife hospital in 2012 from Martinez, where he was found with a wing injury that prevented him from sustaining flight. His favorite activities are playing with shoelaces and hanging out on people’s heads in an exercise aviary! Lucienne joined our ambassador team in 2020 after also being brought into the hospital after being found on the ground. Although Lucienne can fly, her impairment is a soft beak which had grown crosswise. Keepers have to regularly trim her beak to slowly form it into a more natural beak shape. Due to her beak deformity, Lucienne cannot eat as quickly as other mourning doves and would have to really compete for food in the wild. How did keepers solve this problem as Lucienne lives with Zenaida? Lucienne gets extra “me” time in her kennel, eating to her heart’s content.

The Mourning Doves currently live behind the scenes at Lindsay Wildlife. Please be sure to check out our daily programming for a chance to see them up close.