34 
intensive survey of breeding birds in North Dakota was re- 
ported by Stewart and Kantrud (1972), which indicated 
that the mourning dove was the twelfth most common avian 
species in that State. The mourning dove was surpassed only 
by (in decreasing order) the horned lark (Eremophila alpes- 
tris), chestnut-collared longspur (Calcarius ornatus), red- 
winged blackbird, western meadowlark (Sturnella neg- 
lecta), lark bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys), savannah 
sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), brown-headed cow- 
bird (Molothrus ater), clay-colored sparrow (Spizella 
pallida), American coot (Fulica americana), blue-winged 
teal (Anas discors), and grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus 
savannarum), 
Considering the extensive breeding range, adaptability 
to many habitat types, large fall flight estimates, and high 
relative abundance to other avian species, the North Ameri- 
can and CMU populations of mourning doves are and 
should continue to be of tremendous importance as a 
natural renewable resource. 
Summary 
1. Over 868,000 mourning doves were banded through- 
out the United States between 1967 and 1975. Of these, 
332,314 were banded in the CMU, 
2. Of nearly 146,000 adults banded in the CMU whose 
sex and age were determined, the sex ratio was 187:100, 
males to females; the age ratio was 121:100, immatures to 
adults. 
3, OF 5,266 direct mourning dove recoveries from CMU 
bandings, 4,134 (79%) were taken in the CMU, 792 (15%) 
in the Southern Zone, 292 (6%) in the EMU, and 48 (1%) 
in the WMU. 
4. In general, half or more of all dove recoveries occurred 
in the State of banding for those States where hunting was 
permitted, 
5. The pattern of migration for doves banded in the CMU 
is generally southward and shaped like a fan. Doves origi- 
nating in northern latitudes exhibited greater probabilities 
of being recovered in the EMU and WMU than doves origi- 
nating in southern latitudes, 
6. Doves banded in States adjacent to the EMU and 
WMU had a stronger tendency to migrate into the adjacent 
unit that those from other CMU States. 
7. Doves banded in Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas. and South 
Texas had a lower probability of migrating into Mexico than 
doves banded in other areas of the CMU. 
8. Adult female doves either migrated earlier or were 
more prone to migrate from the State of banding than adult 
males. Likewise, immature doves either migrated earlier 
or Were more prone to migrate than adults, 
9, Of the total CMU harvest, over half occurred in Texas 
(44%) and Oklahoma (10%). Missouri (13%) and Kansas 
(11%) accounted for almost one-fourth of the CMU har- 

vest. South Texas and Missouri had the highest harvests per 
land unit area. 
10. Of doves originating in the United States and har- 
vested in the Southern Zone, 89% occurred in Mexico and 
11% in Central America. 
11. Of doves originating in the United States and har- 
vested in Mexico, 73% occurred in the three-State area of 
Jalisco, Guanajuato, and Michoacan. 
12. No doves banded in the United States were recovered 
in the Yucatan Peninsula. Thus, migratory routes follow 
the Pacific coastline once birds reach southern Mexico. 
13. Costa Rica appears to be the southward terminus for 
migrating doves from the United States. 
14, The harvest in most CMU hunting States consisted 
of doves that nested or were hatched in those States, and 
less than 10% of the harvested birds originated from other 
States. However, in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, 
40% or more of the harvested doves came from other States. 
15. Of the total dove harvest in the CMU, nearly 98% 
originated from within the CMU and less than 3% from 
the WMU and EMU combined. 
16. Of doves originating in the United States and har- 
vested in Mexico, 75% originated in CMU States, 23% in 
WMU States, and less than 2% in EMU States. 
17. Of doves originating in the United States and har- 
vested in Central America, 96% were contributed by CMU 
States, particularly the Mid-CMU (North Dakota, South 
Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas), 
18. Immature doves banded in June were recovered out 
of State in greater proportion than immatures banded in 
August. Thus, immature doves probably began dispersing 
soon after fledging. Adults did not exhibit this tendency. 
19. Doves from adjacent States began entering Texas 
before September, but the bulk of the population arrived 
later in September. Doves from northern States arrived in 
Texas later than those from nearby States. 
20. Immature doves from nearby States entered Texas 
sooner than adults, but adults and immatures from north- 
ern States arrived at about the same time. 
21. Mourning dove recoveries were obtained in Mexico 
from September through mid-April; peak recovery was in 
mid-October. 
22. Adult and immature doves appear to arrive in Mexico 
at about the same time. 
23. Although more advanced than earlier methods, the 
stochastic models used in this analysis were limited in their 
ability to provide mourning dove survival and recovery rate 
estimates with acceptable precision because of stringent 
requirements of the models, 
24. Mourning dove survival and recovery rates were not 
constant from year to year. 
25, No overall differences in either survival or recovery 
rates were detected between adult male and female doves. 
26. The unweighted average survival rate for doves 
banded in the CMU was 53% for adults and 44% for imma- 
tures. 
