PIGEONS AND DOVES

     Rock pigeons and mourning doves are related birds that are abundant in southeastern Pennsylvania, and the whole United States, because they are adapted to human-made habitats.  Pairs and groups of both these handsome, adaptable species feed on grain and seeds in harvested fields.  But pigeons shelter and nest in barns, under larger bridges and on city buildings, while doves do the same on boughs of thickly-needled, sheltering coniferous trees planted on suburban and city lawns.  

     Though the gray pigeons originally hale from rock cliffs along the Mediterranean Sea and brown mourning doves are native to North America, these species have several traits in common.  Both are attractive in plain ways, permanent residents wherever they live, mate for life and lay two white eggs per clutch.  They feed their young a porridge of throat phlegm and half-digested grain they pump into the youngsters' mouths.  Unfortunately, they build poor nests and lose some broods in strong winds.   

     Both species raise two broods, of two young each, at once, but stagger those broods.  When the first brood of babies are half-grown in their twig and grass cradles, their mothers start another clutch in another nursery.  When the first brood fledge their home when one month old, the second brood hatches.  When the second pairs of young are half-grown, their mothers start a third clutch in the first nest.  And so it goes from early March into September.  In this way, each pair of both species can, potentially, produce a pair of young each month, on average.  But they don't because of losses by wind and predators, including crows, raccoons, opossums and other critters.        

     It takes both parents of a mated pair of pigeons and doves to raise two broods at once.  While one parent sets on eggs or small young, the other parent is feeding itself and the older two chicks.  The parents daily trade roles so that each one can feed itself.

     Adult pigeons and doves are preyed on mostly by peregrine falcons and Cooper's hawks.  Those diurnal raptors are large and strong enough to tackle birds of pigeon size.

     Wild pigeons in North America, and throughout much of the world, are escapees from domestication.  Those pigeons are noticed on city sidewalks where they pick up tidbits of human food.  They also conspicuously perch between feeding forays on the tops of silos in farmland, and on wires by large bridges over expressways.  Pigeons raise young on supports under those bridges.  Mourning doves perch on roadside wires, house roofs and coniferous trees.  And both species are noticed in harvested fields, feeding on grain.  Doves are tougher to spot because their brown feathering camouflages them on the grain stubble and soil.  Often they aren't noticed until they fly up from the ground.

     Pigeon and dove courtships are interesting to hear and see.  Male pigeons coo, enthusiastically strut in circles, and repeatedly bow before their mates to put them into the mood to mate.  Male mourning doves repeatedly coo "oo-a-hoo, hoo, hoo".  Their delightful cooing around home all day every spring and summer day is pleasant and companionable.  And I like to hear the whistling of their powerful wings as they fly around our neighborhood.  

     It's nice to have a couple of bird species adaptable enough, large enough and vocal enough to be easily seen and heard in abundance in human-made habitats through the year.  Rock pigeons and mourning doves are lovely, entertaining and inspiring right at home.  To me, it's particularly delightful to hear the gentle cooing of the doves all through spring and summer.