Some doves winter in the deep south when winters are mild. The birds almost always move ahead of snow, ice, and extremely low temperatures. Many move along the Gulf Coast into Florida, the West Indies, southwest Texas, and Mexico. In late winter, the birds gradually return to their breeding territories. Sometimes heavy snowfall with ice and temperatures around zero may cause a large number of deaths when the birds cannot find food or withstand prolonged exposure to extreme cold.
Doves begin pairing in early spring.
The cooing calls and peculiar mating flight of the males are the first signs of breeding. Some nesting can begin as early as late February in Mississippi. Breeding increases gradually and by April is well underway. Most nesting activity is over by late August. Production of fledglings is probably highest in July and early August in Mississippi.