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C. Naether—Breeding the Western Mourning Dove



BREEDING THE WESTERN MOURNING DOVE


(Zenaidura macroura marginellci)


By Carl Naether


This gentle Dove, which with the proper treatment becomes quickly

tame in the aviary, I have now kept for a number of years mainly for

two reasons. In the first place, there is its plaintive “ mourning ” coo,

penetrating, vibrant, with the suggestion of far-off, lonely woods and

deep forests. It is the only call-note uttered by this species, the male,

to be correct, the female having no such note. Both sexes, however,

utter a whirring note of fear at the approach of strange animals or

people. Moreover, in sudden and fast flight, the Mourning Dove emits

a whistling wing-note, which you are not likely to forget once you have

heard it. My other reason for keeping a number of pairs of this lively

dove is that it has proved to be a very dependable foster parent for

the medium-sized species of foreign Doves which so frequently neglect

their offspring. Especially valuable is the Mourning Dove’s trait of

staying near the youngsters just after they have left the nest and are

sitting in some obscure corner on the ground of the aviary, waiting

to be fed. As every Dove-fancier knows, this is the most critical

period in the life of young Doves, many dying of starvation because

their parents fail to seek them out when they are on the ground.


Mourning Doves are quite gentle, and therefore easy to handle—-

a great advantage when they are to serve as foster parents. No matter

how closely I approach their nest, whichever bird is on the nest will

sit tight, so that I have to lift it off if I want to see the contents of

the nest. When the female is frightened off the nest, she usually drops

to the ground where she goes into a series of odd contortions as if her

wings were broken and she were unable to fly. Undoubtedly this

species of Dove is one of the most prolific. In point of fact, I have a pair

which at this writing is on its fifth setting of eggs, having successfully

reared four pairs of youngsters so far this season. Like other kinds of

Doves, the Mourning Dove will sit on or between its young even

though they are well feathered, and even though it is very hot.



