Mourning Dove

Construction Difficulty

kid-friendly difficulty kid-friendly simple difficulty simple

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Nesting Range

Mourning Dove Range
Source: Birds of the World

Nesting Habitat

  •  icon Forest
  •  icon Grassland
  •  icon Open Woodland
  •  icon Town

Attach Nest Box To

  • Live tree icon Live tree

Known Nesting Period

Not Nesting
Some Nesting Occurrence
Nesting in Most of Range
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
Source: Birds of the World

Nest Box Placement

Height Range From Ground

6ft
10ft
6–10 feet

Spacing Between Nest Boxes

1 cone per 2.5 acres

Facing

Entrance hole facing visualization
Any

Helpful Tips

  • Place the nest cone in a shady part of the tree with branches overhead.
  • Use wire to secure the nest in a horizontal crotch of a tree limb.
  • Mourning Doves are versatile and will nest in a wide variety of situations. Although they do not need a nest cone per se, the cone does give them a solid base for their flimsy nest and may encourage them to nest in more convenient locations (e.g., away from one's potted plants).
  • Mourning Doves may nest two or three times in succession.