First Feeding

This male mourning dove feeds his hour old hatchling for the first time. He also is sitting on a second egg, which hasn’t hatched, yet. The adult’s head bobbed up and down during the feeding; the hatchling following the movement. The body of the adult was heaving as well; regurgitating. I have read that this regurgitation is the production of “pigeon’s milk” for the youngling.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology