How Long Do Mourning Doves Live? (Mourning Dove Lifespan)

mourning dove (Big seaweed) are beautiful medium-sized pigeons from the large pigeon family family. These adorable birds can be found all over the United States, living in a variety of environments from the cold mountains of the north to the deserts of the south. Mourning doves are prolific breeders, producing an astonishing six litters a year, but how long do mourning doves live?

There’s a reason mourning doves breed so much – their average lifespan is only 1 to 1.5 years. Mortality is high, with as many as 75% of young mourning pigeons dying before their first birthday. Once they turn 1 year old, mourning doves only have a 50:50 chance of surviving each year at best.

Despite the high mortality rate, many mourning doves do live longer. The oldest known Mourning Dove was an impressive 30 years and 4 months and was shot in Florida in 1998 – who knows how long he’ll last!

There are an estimated 475 million mourning doves in the United States, suggesting this flexible, adaptable species is doing something right. Read on to learn more about the longevity and longevity of this amazing bird!

The Mourning Dove is also known as the American Mourning Dove, the Rain Dove, commonly known as the Turtle Dove

What is the typical lifespan of a mourning dove?

The average lifespan of a mourning dove is about 1 to 1.5 years, but there is a wide range of about 1 to 20 years or more.

The survival of mourning doves is unpredictable and erratic; those living in safe, food-abundant environments can live longer than average. However, the fact is that most mourning doves die as fledglings or do not live to their first birthday.

How long do mourning doves live in the wild?

The average lifespan of a wild mourning dove is only 1 to 1.5 years. This is low for a bird of their size, and most pigeons and doves are expected to live slightly longer, though usually insignificantly.

During the first year after hatching, up to 75% of mourning doves die from predation, starvation or disease. After one year of age, the year-on-year survival rate of adult mourning pigeons is about 50% to 60%. Studies have shown that mourning dove survival rates vary across the United States, with some northern latitude populations living longer, but data are very scarce.

The oldest mourning dove is more than 30 years old, which shows that the maximum biological age of these birds is very high.

A mourning dove perched on a branch

How long do mourning pigeons live in captivity?

In general, pet or captive pigeons can live 20 years or more.

Although mourning doves are not typically kept as pets, pigeon and dove breeders report that they make excellent pets. Pigeons are warm, docile and good-natured, and are known for their soothing cooing sound.

How do most mourning doves die?

Mourning doves usually die from predation, disease or starvation. Many mourning doves die before their chicks are born.

Nesting failure rates range from 40% to 80%, and if nesting fails, any immature chicks will almost certainly die. Additionally, nests often fail due to severe weather (accounted for 33 percent of chick and chick losses in one Alabama study) and predation. Mourning dove nests are often small and unstable, making them vulnerable to strong winds. Predation by corvids, raccoons, rat snakes, cats, and fox squirrels is the most common.

Once fully fledged, mourning doves are difficult to secure, with a mortality rate of around 75% during the first year. Young mourning doves usually die from predation, starvation and disease. Juveniles are less wary of predators than adults.

Mourning pigeons continue to face threats from all angles, with most having a 50% or more annual mortality rate. It sounds pessimistic, but many mourning pigeons do live longer, with the oldest living to be 30 years and 4 months old!

Mourning doves have a fast pace of life, but they make the most of it by raising 2 to 6 broods per year.

Many mourning doves die before leaving the nest

disease

Mourning pigeons are afflicted by many viral, bacterial, protozoan and fungal diseases. This is especially true of trichomoniasis, a parasitic protozoan disease that causes obstructive yellow growths in the beaks of pigeons. Although there are usually no symptoms, these growths can eventually lead to starvation.

Fowlpox is another significant disease affecting pigeons, with several fungi found in their digestive tracts. Healthy adult birds are usually immune to this type of fungal infection, especially during the warm spring and summer months. In addition, a wide range of parasites can affect pigeons, both chicks and adults.

hunt

Mourning doves are popular game birds, with around 20 million hunted each year. Their populations are well managed and suitable for hunting, which does not threaten the stable or growing overall mourning dove populations in most areas.

prey

A variety of birds and terrestrial predators preceded the mourning dove. Hawks, falcons, and owls prey on juvenile and adult mourning doves, although these agile birds are more difficult to catch than many other types of doves or doves. Domestic cats, dogs, raccoons, snakes, and squirrels are also common predators.

A pair of mourning doves perched on a maple tree in the middle of winter

Who are the natural enemies of mourning doves?

Mourning doves are fast, agile birds that are not as easy to catch as many other medium-sized birds. However, they face a wide range of threats on land and in the air.

birds

Mourning doves face avian predators such as falcons, diurnal owls, spotted sandpipers, hawks and crows. Crows, black-billed sandpipers and cowbirds may raid/prey on mourning dove nests. Additionally, magpies, crows and jays often target these eggs.

Research has shown that mourning doves are less likely to be predated by hawks and falcons because they are one of the faster and more agile species of doves or doves.

Terrestrial animals

In terms of terrestrial predators, mourning doves face predation from house cats, raccoons, rat snakes and squirrels. Adult mourning doves are agile and unlikely to be caught by most of these animals, but chicks and nestlings are vulnerable. The domestic cat is one of the most likely predators in an urban or suburban environment.

mourning dove feeding on the ground

How old was the oldest mourning dove?

The oldest known mourning dove is a male who was estimated to be 30 years and 4 months old when he was discovered in Florida in 1998. The bird was tied up in Georgia in 1968.

This is a real surprise considering the average lifespan of most mourning pigeons is 1 to 1.5 years. This suggests that these birds must be biologically capable of living very long if conditions are favorable, not to mention the help of luck and fortune!

How long can mourning doves live without food?

Mourning pigeons need to eat every day – studies show they eat about 16 percent of their body weight per day. These omnivorous birds often graze on the ground throughout the day.

Mourning pigeons can survive without food for several days, but that’s certainly not their preference! Pet pigeons and doves are usually fed several times a day.

mourning dove perched on tree

Can mourning doves survive the winter?

Mourning doves are migratory, flying south in winter in search of food and warmth.

The vast majority of mourning doves in Canada and the northwestern United States migrate during the winter. Most bird species in the interior western states also migrate. Mourning doves in the eastern and southeastern United States may only migrate a short distance. Most of the birds travel to Texas, Mexico, and Central America, or along the Atlantic coast to Florida or the Caribbean.

Are mourning doves protected?

Mourning doves are a species of least concern to IUCN, and their populations are stable in most areas. In terms of hunting, hunting doves is illegal in Massachusetts, Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Vermont.

Where mourning doves are hunted, state laws often prohibit certain forms of hunting and provide restrictions and guidelines to prevent overhunting. In general, hunting of mourning doves is considered “well-managed” because it does not compromise their overall conservation status.

A flock of mourning pigeons at a bird feeder

Why are mourning doves so common?

Mourning doves are one of the most abundant birds in North America, although they only live 1 to 1.5 years. So, how do they do it?

The answer is simple: by breeding, and by multiplying! Mourning pigeons are paired within a few months of emergence and can raise up to six broods (although this is really the upper limit). This equates to about 4 to 6 surviving chicks, which is enough for the birds to maintain their high population numbers.

It is rare for mourning pigeons to have fewer than two litters in a season, so if a pair does live for three, four, five years or more, there are plenty of mourning pigeon babies!

The Mourning Dove is considered one of the most prolific breeders of all birds and the most prolific breeder in North America. It is their sheer will, tenacity and desire to breed that make them so successful despite the pressure of high mortality.