Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura)

Walking around the
cactus, gleaning seeds where they
are found on the ground.

~ carliewired

These two, presumably a pair, were waiting outside the front gate by the mailbox when I went out to check for mail. I cannot tell the male from the female. They look alike to me.

Mourning Doves, also called Turtle Doves or Rain Doves, seem to live here all year round. They have a distinctive cooing sound much like pigeons. They are a common game bird all over the US, both for sport and for meat. As they take off and land their wings make a whistling sound. I usually see them scouring the yard for seeds, their main food source. They walk along intent on what's in front of them on the ground. In my backyard, the Mourning Doves don't fit in my birdfeeders but they will happily clean up all that falls to ground below them, thus keeping my yard tidy.