I can’t believe that there are now 2 chick in this tiny nest. Does the male and female Mourning Dove takes turn caring for the chicks? Just wondering how that works when there is so little room to move around.
Doves are notoriously terrible at building nests. They just… put a couple sticks down and let it ride
that location seems normal for doves, as far as i know. as i understand it, brood size for doves is always 2 because the parents can produce only enough milk for 2 chicks. both parents feed the chicks, but i think only the female will sit on the eggs. she selects the location, and he brings her the materials to build the nest. the chicks don’t stay in the nest very long. so i guess it doesn’t have to be super sturdy or elaborate.
I think you are right!
That’s cool! I didn’t know that they produce milk.
We have a Brachylaena discolor outside our window. It has LONG whippy branches, a little tangled. We have lots of wind.
Take two crossing branches. Put a little stick there. Come back with the second stick … and the first one is down … Eventually they are forced to choose a tangle that holds steady!
They do make terrible nests. I recall doing a nest survey one summer and was able to confirm eggs and count them from underneath a mourning dove nest … that’s how flimsy it was.
I spent a significant amount of time this spring panicking every time I saw the female of the mourning dove pair that hangs around sitting on my car windshield, because I was CONVINCED the dum dum was gonna try to build a nest there. (Thankfully, the dum dum didn’t.)
Honestly? your doves didn’t do so bad compared to, uh. Many others. Just gonna leave this link here.
Right? Like, thats actually a proper nest, not three sticks a candybar wrapper and a prayer
So funny!
Yes! In their crops! Pretty cool, huh?!
So funny! And he funny part is that it works! LOL!
Doves and pigeons do this. Many pigeon species would build their nests on cliffs, and only needed a couple sticks to keep eggs from rolling off. Morning doves do this too, although I am not sure if they were originally cliff dwelling birds or not.
A strange location, indeed! And yet, Mourning Doves seem really good at selecting odd locations that other birds would turn up their noses (beaks?) at.
Some bird species can adapt to urban areas. Doves and pigeons have been seen nesting on flower pots. Bulbuls and sunbirds can build nest in the hedges. If people don’t catch birds, and rats don’t live near apartments, absence of predatory birds and snakes, it can be a common sight. There could be a source of food nearby for the birds.
i’ve seen multiple in places like this! for some reason they seem to enjoy high wooden spots on houses specifically.
Thanks for this post. I have laughed and I have shared it with people who needed a laugh!
Doves prefer to perch and nest on a flat surface. If it is not safe enough from the local predators, then there is no choice and a flimsy mess in a tree will do.
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