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BIRDS OF NEW MEXICO 
Food.— In summer, mainly grass and weed seeds, as amaranth, filaree, cockle, 
pigweed, ragweed, thistle, smart weed, wood sorrel, spurge, pigeon-grass, wild sun¬ 
flower, cleome, and croton, acorns, with a little waste grain, and also locusts and a 
few other insects, mostly ants. Professor Merrill wrote from Mesilla: “They take 
only fallen grain unless the shocks are left standing, in which case they may take the 
grain from the shock. Even then the damage here is negligible as far as noted” 
(MS). Large quantities of fine gravel are eaten, which help the muscular gizzard 
grind its seeds. Young in the nest are fed on “pigeon’s milk,” regurgitated by the 
parents. 
General Habits. — The Western Mourning Dove, recognized at a 
glance by its long pointed tail “narrowed to prevent friction” and its 
swift, musical flight, now lost to the people through neglect in many 
parts of its former range, is fortunately still abundant in parts of New 
Mexico. In Santa Clara Canyon late in August, 1906, we were glad 
to find the beautiful Doves in flocks, feeding on the seeds of the pink- 
flowered cleome; and in the juniper belt, feeding in the sunflower 
fields. 
At Lake Burford in 1918, Doctor Wetmore says, “ Pairs came down to 
water on the open beaches, or occasionally flew out and alighted upon 
floating masses of dead tides and walked down the edge to drink. 
Males were heard cooing and were seen in the short sailing flights, 
made with stiffty spread wings, characteristic of the breeding season” 
(1920a, p. 397). 
Between Laguna and Magdalena in 1905 Mr. Hollister found them 
exceedingly abundant. During the day, he reports, “thousands were 
flushed from the weed and sunflower patches and at night hundreds 
would visit the water holes near camp” (MS). The daily flight to 
water, Mr. Leopold says, generally starts between three and four in 
the afternoon and if the distance is not too great reaches its height 
just before dark. The Doves are temperamental birds, he adds. 
On certain days they do not feed but gather in trees and just sit around, 
their weight actually being lessened by the emptiness of their crops. 
When scattered over the open mesas feeding on doveweed, a rainy 
day will interfere with their feeding, sending them to the lee side of 
bushes to keep dry. But although surrounded by wet vegetation from 
which they might seem able to quench their thirst, they make their 
regular evening flight to water. They can well cover considerable 
distances, as they have been known to fly over thirty miles an hour. 
In the neighborhood of Mesilla Park, Professor Merrill reported that 
the Mourning Dove nested from river bank cottonwoods to mountain 
junipers, and on the McKenzie Ranch Mr. Ligon found nests in fruit 
trees one day, and on sun scorched ground by a yucca, the next. After 
the young are reared, the families tend to congregate in the large 
flocks reported by various observers. From Mesilla Park at midday 
in the tornillo bosques near water, Professor Merrill said, “one may 
