THE CONDOR 
A Bi-Monthly Magazine of 
Western Ornithology 
Volume XXIII September-October, 1921 Number 5 
[Issued September 24, 1921] 
NESTS OF MOURNING DOVES WITH THREE YOUNG 
By MARGARET MORSH NICE 
WITH TWO PHOTOS 
HIS SPRING we have had the rare experience of following the course of 
a0 two Mourning Dove’s nests, each of which contained three eggs, and all 
of the eggs hatching. Although we have examined nearly 150 nests of 
the Western Mourning Dove (Zenadura macroura marginella) here in central 
Oklahoma, in only one other instance have we found more than two eggs or 
young. This was a nest containing two small doves and one egg, discovered 
by my daughter Constance, May 25, 1917. Unfortunately we did noi revisit 
this nest. 
The first of the three-egg sets found in 1921 was located in a new Robin's 
nest that had been built in a box elder fifteen feet from the ground. It was 
found April 15 with three Robin’s eggs in it, but on April 20 it was empty and 
deserted. On April 30 we saw a Dove placidly in possession, and on Con- 
stance’s climbing the tree she made the exciting discovery that the nest con- 
tained three Dove’s eggs, one of which looked slightly smaller than the others. 
On May 12 there were still three eggs; but on May 14 there was one egg and 
two young, one a day old and the other a few hours old; this last was under 
the egg. On May 18 there were three little birds; the smallest from its degree 
of development must have been one day younger than the middle bird. 
On May 19 the six-day-old dove weighed 41 grams, the five-day-old 21.8 
grams, and the four-day-old 17 grams. The weights of the two younger birds 
are lower than others of the same age, the average of two other five-day-old 
squabs being 36 grams and of two four-day-olds 30.5 grams. Apparently the 
three were not getting quite enough food. All, however, were well advanced 
as to feather development. On May 21 Dr. Joseph M. Thuringer ascended the 
tree and photographed the birds in their nest. After this we did not disturb 
them for fear of frightening them out prematurely. They left the nest at an 
average age for Oklahoma Mourning Doves, the oldest when 13 days old and 
the others the following day when 12 and 13' days old. 
The second nest was situated in a crotch of an elm ten feet from the 
