Redwood Region Audubon Society - Sandpiper Newsletter Bird of the Month Mourning Dove by Stanley W. Harris Mourning Doves are rare to uncommon along the northcoast, although common and widespread in the U.S. generally. The nest is made of twigs delivered by the male to the female who places them loosely in a platform on a horizontal or main crotch of a tree or shrub.
Some nests have sparse linings of grass.
Old nests of other species are sometimes used, and a few pairs may even nest on the ground. The males incubate for about 8 daylight hours and the females for about 16 hours. Experienced adults may raise 3-6 broods a season. Many doves feed on seeds of grain, forbs, and grasses. When breeding, snails are avidly taken, perhaps to supplement calcium for eggshell formation.