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What Eats Mourning Doves? 5 Potential Predators
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Eat or be eaten. It’s the natural way of things unless something is an apex predator. Mourning doves are not anywhere close to the top of the food chain and as a result, they have several obvious predators that we’ll discuss below.
Most birds’ main concern is larger birds of prey as they spend most of their time in the trees or air. However, that’s something that leaves these doves at an extra disadvantage—they prefer feeding on the ground and spend a lot of time there. This makes them a much easier target for other animals that would not usually be able to get at a bird easily.
What Eats Mourning Doves? 5 Potential Predators
1. Birds of Prey
Mourning doves are typically quite big and make excellent targets for larger birds of prey—hawks, falcons, eagles, etc. This is a primary reason these birds prefer to be nestled in thick branches if they’re in the tree.
One technique that the mourning dove uses for safety from bigger birds is filling their crop with seeds from a feeder or the ground. Then they fly into the trees and hide away while digesting the food.
Image By: sondinh2000, Pixabay
2. Snakes
The type of snakes that prey on mourning doves depends on the area. Also, a snake feeding on a bird is typically a more opportunistic kill than anything. And it’s usually only a full-grown snake that will go after an adult bird.
Five of the common ones to feed on the birds in the States are:
Diamondback rattlesnake
Copperhead
Kingsnake
Coachwhip
Rat snake
3. Cats
It’s no secret that cats love to hunt birds of all kinds. So, they are perhaps the most dangerous domestic animal to a mourning dove. One of the ways to encourage mourning doves to visit your yard is to discourage cats from being able to get to them or their feeding areas.
Image By: Nennieinszweidrei, Pixabay
4. Small Mammals
In addition to cats, mourning doves also need to watch out for other small mammals like raccoons or possums. While these critters may not necessarily hunt a dove down like a cat because they are more opportunistic like snakes. But they will still snack on the bird if the occasion presents itself.
5. Humans
Doves may be a symbol of peace worldwide, but in many places—most of the eastern United States, for example—they are a prolific game bird. According to a 2021 report by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, almost 10 million birds were harvested in the 2019–2020 season.
With those numbers in mind, humans are probably one of the most dangerous predators to the mourning dove. However, remember that this bird’s population numbers are not in danger because of their breeding habits—they’re basically rabbits with wings!
Image By: CLP Media, Shutterstock
Protecting Mourning Doves
Because mourning doves are a wild species, keeping them as pets is illegal as they are protected under the Migratory Bird Act in most of Canada and the United States. But you don’t have to domesticate them and keep them as pets if you want to protect them.
Here are some ways that you can help protect them while they are using your yard as a home:
Minimize the risk of cats or other animals getting to the doves.
Keep trees trimmed so the doves can roost and perch in them safely.
Provide food and water sources for them near the safety of the trees.
FAQs About Mourning Doves
Do mourning doves prey on each other?
Simple answer: no. Mourning doves are seed eaters and don’t eat meat. However, it’s not uncommon to see three of these birds flying around pecking at each other. In most cases, this would be a form of mating competition. These groups are typically two males vying for the attention of the female.
Image Credit: daledbet, Pixabay
What happens if a mourning dove’s mate dies?
Mourning doves mate for life. It’s interesting what happens when one’s mate dies—they’ve been observed attempting to care for the deceased mate or return to the spot where it died. However, they will eventually move on and find another mate.
How long does a mourning dove live?
Unless eaten before its time, a mourning dove will love approximately 1–2 years. With this lifespan, a female will lay around 15 to 20 eggs, contributing to why there are no problems with the dove’s population numbers.
Final Thoughts
Many people enjoy watching these doves and don’t really want to think about them being a meal. However, the circle of life is just another part of our reality. The nice thing is that the mourning dove is not in danger of going extinct, even with the number of them being hunted by several predators.
Shea Cummings is a passionate content writer who believes that the power of words is immeasurable. He leverages years of experience in various trades such as carpentry, photography, and electrical to bring his articles to life. His goal is to provide his readers with information that delights and informs. When he's not writing you can find him spending time in the outdoors or playing some Minecraft on the Xbox with his wife and two sons.
