MOURNING DOVE
The Mourning Dove is one of our most common birds. It gets it’s name from their call, which sounds like a mournful cooing. This game bird loves to perch in trees or on telephone wires and will forage for seeds on the ground.
When taking off and landing, Mourning Dove’s wings make a loud whistling sound that has been described to sound like squeaking wood. This sound comes from special feathers on their wings that vibrate when wind rushes over them, creating sound, kind of like a reed in a clarinet.
One pair of Mourning doves can have up to six broods per year, more than any other native bird. That’s probably why there are so many of them around! While normally seen in groups of two or three, it’s not uncommon to see a flock of 20 or more perched in a tree down at the Equestrian Center.