In Indiana, mourning doves are among the most familiar birds found in neighborhoods, farms, parks, and woodland edges. Their soft, mournful coo echoes across the landscape from early spring through late summer, and their graceful flight is a common sight above fields and backyard gardens. Although millions of Indiana residents see adult mourning doves every year, very few ever catch a glimpse of their babies. Unlike young robins or bluebirds that often appear in backyards before becoming independent, baby mourning doves spend nearly their entire early lives hidden from view.
The mourning dove is one of the most successful native birds in Indiana. It has adapted remarkably well to both natural habitats and developed communities, nesting in forests, suburban neighborhoods, city parks, orchards, and farmland. Its success comes not from building elaborate nests or producing large families, but from an efficient breeding cycle that allows pairs to raise several broods during a single nesting season.
The lives of baby mourning doves begin quietly. Hidden inside simple nests built high in shrubs, evergreen trees, deciduous branches, hanging flower baskets, or even building ledges, tiny chicks develop with incredible speed under the constant care of both parents. Most people never realize these nests exist because the adults behave calmly and avoid drawing attention to them…