Two or three days after the nest is finished, the female lays her first egg. A second egg comes two days later, and incubation begins at once. Eggs are oval to elliptical, glossy, white and unmarked. After 14-15 days, eggs hatch. Gradually, seeds begin to compose the bulk of the developing squabs' diet.
Weather can be an important mortality factor.
Nest predators include blue jays, starlings, crows, squirrels, snakes, house cats and others. Adults are preyed on by hawks and owls. Disease, accidents and hunting cut dove numbers further. Average annual mortality for a stable population is estimated at 60 percent. Migration of all ages is in full swing by mid-September or early October.