Mourning Dove

The mourning dove is a seed-eating bird of open woodland, fields, gardens and other North American landscapes. Its subdued brown-grey plumage helps it blend into ground and branches. It gathers seeds into the crop and later processes them in the digestive system. The familiar coo is a communication signal rather than evidence of grief. Rapid wingbeats and the pointed tail give it a distinctive flight shape, while both parents contribute to raising young.