Coming back again

We were happy to find a dove nesting on our deck. It was fun to watch them build the nest, and see the female sitting on her eggs outside our window. We just saw the babies today, and wonder how long they will stay now? This is the second year she has come back. Do they always nest in the same place? Does the male only come back to bring food?


Comment

Mourning doves quite consistently start the season by defending large territories which gradually shrink as nest duties increase.
Male mourning doves are excellent husbands, and not until their nursery duties are finished do they give up their shy, unsocial habits to enjoy the company of a few friends. They feed their babies by pumping partly digested food from their own crops into theirs.
Happy Birding,
Susan