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Have you ever heard the characteristic cry of an owl? This is one of the most famous and beloved bird calls. However, not all hooting sounds the same, and their hooting can convey different meanings. Owls scream to mark their territory and warn potential competitors to stay away. Sometimes owls also scream when they detect the presence of a predator such as a wild cat, eagle, or snake. Mating pairs of owls can use a special type of hooting to communicate with each other in the secret language of lovers. As night hunters, you will most likely hear the hooting of an owl from the branch of a nearby tree at night. However, what if it is daytime and you hear the familiar hooting from outside the window? Could it be another owl-like bird? After all, most owls are nocturnal, with only northern hawk owl and pygmy owls predominantly hunting during the day. With that in mind, which bird is the source of this familiar hooting?
Meet the mourning dove, an owl-like bird. Also known as the turtledove or Caroline pigeon, the mourning pigeon is common throughout North America. In this article, we will discuss their taxonomy, distribution and habitat, physical characteristics, social and mating behavior, diet and feeding behavior, and ecological and cultural significance. In addition, we will also discuss how to distinguish the cry of a mourning dove from the cry of an owl. At the end, we’ll also answer some frequently asked questions about mourning pigeons to cover everything we missed. Let’s delve deeper into the discussion of the mourning dove.
Taxonomy
The grieving pigeon belongs to the Columbidae family of pigeons and doves. Its scientific name, Zenaida Macroura, is a combination of two different languages. Zenaida refers to Zenaida Letizia Julie Bonaparte, niece of Napoleon Bonaparte and wife of the famous French ornithologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte. Meanwhile, macroura comes from Greek words macros or “long” and diamonds or “tailed”. It is a close relative of the eared pigeon and the Socorro pigeon. In addition, it has close ties with the extinct wandering pigeon, and for many years scientists have combined them into one genus. Despite its name, it has little in common with the mourning-collared dove of the same name found in Africa. To help distinguish between the two, the funeral dove is also called the American funeral dove. Currently, scientists distinguish 5 different subspecies of the mourning pigeon.
Distribution and habitat
Grieving pigeons are found in the United States, Mexico, Central America, and parts of southern Canada. In addition, they live on many islands in the Caribbean, including Bermuda, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. Each of the five subspecies tends to live in different areas, although their ranges sometimes overlap. Most birds found in Canada and the northern United States will fly south for the winter. On the other hand, populations living in warmer climates usually live all year round. They build their homes in a wide variety of habitats, including urban areas, grasslands, and forests. They generally avoid wetlands and dense forests. You can often find grieving pigeons living next to people, and they are not too worried about the presence of people. They usually build their nests in trees, but they also build them in bushes, on buildings, or sometimes on the ground.
physical characteristics
The grieving pigeon is a medium-sized bird that looks like an owl. They are usually about 12 inches long and have a wingspan of 14.5 to 17.7 inches. Most individuals weigh around 4.5 ounces, but in the wild they can range from 4 to 6 ounces. Their wings are wide and elliptical, and their heads appear to be rather rounded. Mourning pigeons grow long, pointed tails, which serve as the basis for the second part of their scientific name: macroura. Like other roosting birds and songbirds, their three toes point forward and one points backward. They have a short, dark beak and relatively short reddish legs. Common colors include light gray and brown with black markings on the back and white on the tail. Males and females look very similar, although males also have a bluish crest and pinkish spots on their necks.
Social and marital behavior
When not mating or raising chicks, pigeons live together in large groups. On hot days when they are not collecting food, they can enjoy a bird bath or dust bath to cool off. During the breeding season, males take care of females, noisily flapping their wings and puffing out their breasts. Grieving pigeons mate for life, and the same pairs will raise multiple broods during successive breeding seasons. Males and females choose nesting sites together. While the male helps to collect materials for the nest, only the female will build it. Sometimes mourning pigeons can capture an abandoned nest left by another pigeon, bird or squirrel.
Females of mourning pigeons almost always lay two eggs per brood. Males and females take turns incubating eggs and vigilantly watching their nests and eggs. When threatened by a predator, adult grieving pigeons use brilliant strategies to steer attackers out of their nests. One of the adults flies away from the nest and behaves as if its wing is broken. As soon as the predator catches the bait, he will fly away from the nest in the hope that the predator will follow him. Once the eggs hatch, both parents will feed the young pigeons or chicks. The swab is fed pigeon milk or crop milk for the first few days after hatching. Gradually, their diet will shift more to seeds. By the time they leave the nest, about two weeks after birth, their diet is the same as that of their parents.
Diet
Although the mourning dove is a bird that sounds like an owl, it does not eat like an owl. A mourning pigeon’s diet consists almost entirely of seeds. Seeds make up 99% of their diet, although they sometimes eat some insects. Having covered the crops with seeds, they will fly off to the perch to digest food. They may also eat fine dirt, sand, or small stones that aid their digestion. Grieving pigeons eat a wide variety of seeds, including rapeseed, corn, safflower, millet, and sunflower seeds. However, they tend to prefer some seeds over others, and are especially fond of corn, pine nuts, sesame seeds, and wheat seeds.
Ecological and cultural significance
Due to their largely vegetarian diet, mourning pigeons serve as important seed distributors and pollinators. They help spread the seeds of different plants over a large area and pollinate plants by digesting and defecating their seeds. They also help maintain populations of predators including hawks, falcons, snakes, feral cats, and foxes. Culturally, mourning pigeons have traditionally played an important role in the oral traditions of several Native American tribes. Internationally, they serve as a symbol of peace and love. Currently, the mourning dove is considered the official symbol of peace in Wisconsin and the peachbird of Michigan. It is also the national bird of the British Virgin Islands.
How to distinguish the call of an owl from the cry of a mourning dove
A grieving pigeon is a bird that sounds like an owl, so their calls are difficult to distinguish, especially if you are not familiar with them. However, several distinguishing features can help you distinguish their vocalizations from each other. Usually, a male grieving pigeon makes a sound like “kuuuuuuuuuu”, consisting of four parts. The first part is more like a cooing trill, followed by a long woo and two shorter wu’s. Other sounds include the shorter “kuoooooo” used when couples meet each other, or the short “ru-woo” to warn of nearby predators. Meanwhile, owl screams tend to sound sharper and less melodic. Many owl hoots can also sound like barking, consisting of quick, abrupt hoots. Others may emit single “hoots”, which again sound more guttural and deeper than the lighter and more airy “cooing” or “hooting” of a mourning pigeon.
Frequently asked questions about mourning pigeons
How Common Are Mourning Doves?
Mourning pigeons are considered one of the most common birds in North America. Their total population is estimated to be around 475 million in any given year. However, some populations may be declining due to lead poisoning and other environmental factors. However, the IUCN currently ranks the mourning pigeon as the species of least concern.
What animals eat funeral pigeons?
Predators targeting mourning pigeons include snakes, cats, and hawks. In addition, some birds, such as corvids and grackles, eat the eggs of mourning pigeons.
How fast is a grieving pigeon?
Mourning dives can move very quickly. Their wide and strong wings allow them to reach speeds of up to 55 miles per hour.
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