Mourning Doves are one of the most common and widespread birds across North America, instantly recognizable by their slender bodies and long, pointed tails. The gentle, drawn-out coo sound of the male bird is a familiar element of the soundscape in suburban and rural areas. This soft vocalization and the bird’s peaceful demeanor have contributed to its reputation for quiet affection, leading many observers to wonder about the nature of the relationship between paired doves.
Defining the Pair Bond
Mourning Doves exhibit social monogamy, where a male and female partner together to raise their young. The bond often lasts for the entire breeding season, which can span from early spring through late autumn in warmer regions. Many individuals demonstrate site fidelity, returning to the same area in successive years and frequently re-pairing with the same individual. In temperate climates where the birds remain year-round, pairs may even stay together across multiple seasons.
This social arrangement is stable, but it does not imply genetic exclusivity. While the pair cooperates on all shared duties, research suggests that occasional extra-pair copulations can occur, meaning the pair is not strictly genetically monogamous. However, this continuous cooperation is necessary for nesting and rearing young. The tendency for many pairs to reunite year after year suggests a high level of commitment.
Establishing and Maintaining Commitment
The pair bond begins with the male performing a “perch-coo” display from a high, visible location. This cooing call advertises his presence to potential mates and signals his claim over a territory. Once a female approaches, the male performs a “display flight,” involving a steep, noisy ascent followed by a slow, gliding descent with stiffly held wings that create a noticeable whistling sound. This flight acts as territorial defense and demonstrates the male’s quality.
As the bond solidifies, the pair engages in rituals that reinforce their relationship and synchronize their behavior. Mutual preening is common, where the birds gently groom the feathers around each other’s head and neck. Another bonding behavior involves the pair grasping each other’s beaks while bobbing their heads in unison. These close, physical interactions maintain the cooperation required for reproduction.
Shared Parental Duties
The stability of the pair bond is necessary because raising young doves is a cooperative effort with a strict division of labor. The male takes the lead in finding potential nest sites, guiding the female to several locations, though she makes the final selection. He then gathers rudimentary materials like twigs and grasses, bringing them to the female who constructs the flimsy nest platform.
Once the typical clutch of two white eggs is laid, the parents share incubation duties. The male generally takes the day shift, incubating the eggs from mid-morning until late afternoon, while the female takes over for the night and early morning hours. This shared commitment extends to feeding the hatchlings, which are initially fed a substance called crop milk.
Both parents produce this protein- and fat-rich, curd-like secretion from the lining of their crop, regurgitating it directly to the squabs. The production of this nutrient-dense food by both parents makes the cooperative nature of the pair bond a requirement for the successful survival of their offspring.