Mourning Dove

Mourning doves are slim, fast fliers with a long, tapered tail and dark spots across the wing, and they are among the most widespread and abundant birds anywhere in North America. The name comes from the call — a soft, drawn-out cooing that sounds more sorrowful than it means to. They forage on the ground for seeds and grain, build nests so flimsy they barely look functional, tucked into trees or ledges, and typically raise several broods of two young apiece each season. Northern birds head south for winter while those in warmer country mostly stay put year-round; altogether the species breeds across the lower 48, southern Canada, and Mexico.