rate (Reeves 1979) in order for the estimate to be more con- 
servative and comparable to those made by Dunks (1977). 
Only five States in the CMU (Colorado, Kansas, 
Missouri, New Mexico, and Oklahoma) conducted mourn- 
ing dove harvest surveys during each year of the 8-year 
banding program. Thus, harvest data from these States 
(Table A-2) were used to estimate fall flight populations 
for each as described above. Nationwide population esti- 
mates then were projected by dividing each of the five 
State’s population estimates by their respective importance 
values provided in Table A-1. 
These projections ranged from 350 to 600 million doves 
for the combined 48 conterminous States. The five estimates 
then were summed and an average value of 476 million 
doves was computed. This nationwide estimate was multi- 
plied by the three management unit importance values to 
obtain population values for each. The estimated fall flight 
populations were 120 million for the EMU, 265 million for 
the CMU, and 91 million for the WMU. 
33 
The range of 350 to 600 million mourning doves in the 
United States encompasses earlier estimates of the nation- 
wide fall flight population, Dunks (1977) reported 475 mil- 
lion; R. E. Tomlinson (unpublished report) reported 600 
million; and an environmental impact statement for the 
hunting of migratory game birds (U.S. Department of the 
Interior 1975) reported 500 million. 
Bird populations of this size are difficult to estimate and 
comprehend. For management concerns, it is often more 
assuring to know the relative abundance of a species than 
to know the actual numbers. Comprehensive breeding bird 
surveys were conducted in the United States and Canada 
in 1967 and 1968; the results indicated that the mourning 
dove was one of the most abundant bird species in North 
America (Robbins and Van Velzen 1969). The number of 
mourning doves was surpassed only by the robin (Turdus 
migratorius), starling (Sturnus vulgaris), house sparrow 
(Passer domesticus), red-winged blackbird (Agelaius 
phoeniceus), and common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula). An 
I. Estimating the number of mourning doves killed from the fall flight population 




Step Colorado Kansas Missouri New Mexico Oklahoma 
1. Average State dove harvest, 1967-74 383,000 1,342,000 1,156,000 277,000 1,444,000 
2, Average State kill, assuming 30% crippling 
loss [Step 1 + (1 - 0.30)] 547,000 1,917,000 1,651,000 396,000 2,063,000 
3. Proportion of State kill derived from within 
the State (derivation from Table A-57) 0.63 0.94 0.94 0.58 0.90 
4. Kill of State-reared doves in State 
(Step 2 x Step 3) 345,000 1,802,000 1,552,000 230,000 1,857,000 
5. Proportion of doves banded in State that are 
recovered in State (% distribution from 
Table A-28) 0.52 0.65 0.73 0.64 0.57 
6, Total kill of State’s birds (Step 4 + Step 5) 663,000 2,772,000 2,126,000 359,000 3,257,000 
Il. Estimating the percentage of doves killed from fall flight populations 
1, Total doves banded (Table A-12) 29 253 21,889 20,966 26,245 16,201 
2. Total direct recoveries as the result of 
hunting (Table A-18) 283 379 667 202 316 
3. Direct recovery rate as the result of hunting 
(Step 2 + Step 1) 0.0097 0.0173 0.0318 0.0077 0,0195 
4. Harvest rate if band reporting rate is assumed 
to be 32% (Step 3 + 0.32) 0.0302 0.0541 0.0994 0.0241 0.0610 
9. Kill rate if crippling loss is assumed to be 30% 
[Step 4 + (1 — 0.30)] 0.0432 0.0773 0.1420 0.0344 0.0871 
III, Estimating fall flight populations 
1. State’s fall flight population (I, Step 6 + I, 
Step 5) 15,347,000 35,860,000 14,972,000 10,436,000 37,394,000 
2. State’s breeding index or importance 
(Table A-1) 0.026 0.075 0.041 0.027 0.067 
3. Fall flight population of 48 conterminous 
States, projected from State's estimates 
(Step 1 + Step 2) 478,000,000 365,000,000 387,000,000 558,000,000 
590,000,000 
ji. 

4. Average fall population of 48 conterminous 
States (sum of estimates in Step 3 + 5) 
5. If total population is 476 million, the popula- 
tion of each management unit is 



EMU = 120,000,000 
| 
476,000,000 
CMU = 265,000,000 WMU = 91,000,000 




