Mourning Doves

Mourning Doves
		by *David D. Dolton* U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is one of the most widely distributed and abundant birds in North America (Droege and Sauer 1990). It is also the most important U.S. game bird in terms of numbers harvested. The U.S. fall population of mourning doves has been estimated to be about 475 million (Tomlinson et al. 1988; Tomlinson and Dunks 1993).
The breeding range of the mourning dove extends from the southern portions of the Canadian Provinces throughout the continental United States into Mexico, the islands near Florida and Cuba, and scattered areas in Central America (Aldrich 1993; Fig. 1). Although some mourning doves are nonmigratory, most migrate south to winter in the United States from northern California to Connecticut, south throughout most of Mexico and Central America to western Panama.

Within the United States, three areas contain breeding, migrating, and wintering mourning dove populations that are largely independent of each other (Kiel 1959). In 1960 three areas were established as separate management units: the Eastern (EMU), Central (CMU), and Western (WMU; Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Breeding and wintering ranges of mourning doves and mourning dove management units in the United States.

The two main tools used to manage mourning doves are an annual breeding population survey (known as the Mourning Dove Call-count Survey; Dolton 1993a, b) and harvest surveys. The Call-count Survey provides an annual index to population size as well as data for determining long-term trends in dove populations. State harvest surveys and the National Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program, begun in 1992, estimate dove harvest. In addition, recoveries from banded doves have provided vital information for managing the species (Hayne 1975; Dunks et al. 1982; Tomlinson et al. 1988).
Status and Trends
The Eastern Management Unit includes 27 states--30% of the U.S. land area. The 1993 population indices were 18.3 doves heard and 14.9 doves seen per route (Dolton 1993b; Fig. 2). Both estimates are above the long-term trend estimates. Between 1966 and 1993, the population has been relatively stable. Dove harvest in the EMU was relatively constant from 1966 to 1987, with between 27.5 million and 28.5 million birds taken. The latest estimate, a 1989 survey, indicated that the harvest had dropped to about 26.4 million birds shot by an estimated 1.3 million hunters (Sadler 1993).
The Central Management Unit consists of 14 states containing 46% of the U.S. land area. Of the three units, the CMU has the highest mourning dove population index. The 1993 index for the unit of 23.9 doves heard per route is slightly below the long-term trend estimate (Dolton 1993b; Fig. 2). For doves seen, the estimate of 26.8 is also below what was expected. Even though there appears to be an increase in doves seen and a slight decrease in doves heard between 1966 and 1993, in statistical terms there is no significant trend indicated for either count. Although hunting pressure and harvest varied widely among states, dove harvest in the CMU generally increased between 1966 and 1987 to an annual average of about 13.5 million birds. In 1989 almost 11 million doves were taken by about 747,000 hunters (Sadler 1993).

Fig. 2. Population indices of mourning doves in the Eastern (EMU), Central (CMU), and Western (WMU) Management units, 1966-93.

The Western Management Unit comprises seven states and represents 24% of the land area in the United States. The 1993 population indices of 9.3 doves heard and 8.5 doves seen per route are slightly above their long-term trend estimates (Dolton 1993b; Fig. 2). Significant downward trends in numbers of doves heard and seen for the unit occurred between 1966 and 1993. From 1987 to 1993, however, a significant positive trend occurred in the unit although the indices were still below those of the 1960's. After a decline in the dove breeding population, dove harvest in the WMU declined significantly. In the early 1970's, about 7.3 million doves were taken by an estimated 450,000 hunters. By 1989, the harvest had dropped to about 4 million birds shot by about 285,000 hunters (Sadler 1993).

In summary, mourning dove populations in the EMU and CMU are relatively stable. Although the population of doves in the WMU declined from a high in the mid-1960's, it appears that it stabilized during the past 7-10 years. U.S. dove harvest appears to be decreasing. The mourning dove remains an extremely important game bird, however, especially since more doves are harvested than all other migratory game birds combined. A 1991 survey indicated that the mourning dove provided about 9.5 million days of hunting recreation for 1.9 million people (USFWS and U.S. Bureau of Census 1993).
Year-to-year population changes are normal and expected. Although populations are relatively stable in the Eastern and Central Management units, declining long-term trends in the past two decades are cause for concern in the Western Unit and in local areas elsewhere. A combination of factors may have been detrimental to dove populations in some areas: habitat and agricultural changes including loss of nesting habitat through reclamation and industrial and urban development, changes in agricultural practices that may have reduced food sources, and possibly overharvest of doves in local areas. In California, for example, many live oak trees have been cut for wood products resulting in a loss of nesting habitat. Reclamation projects or lowered water tables eliminated thousands of acres of mesquite nesting habitat in Arizona. Since many doves from the WMU winter in Mexico during a 5- to 6-month period each year, agricultural changes there may negatively affect doves.
In the CMU, agricultural changes were evaluated and compared with dove population trends in the eastern group of states (R.R. George, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, unpublished data); mourning dove population indices appeared to be most closely correlated with changes in number of farms (positive) or farm size (negative). In addition, an analysis identified number of farms and acres of soybeans, oats, and sorghum over time as good indicators of the number of doves heard.
Early records indicate that mourning doves were present, although not abundant, when the United States was settled by colonists (Reeves and McCabe 1993). The resulting clearing of forests, introduction of new food plants, grazing and trampling by livestock that promoted seed-producing plants used by doves, and the creation of stock ponds providing more widely distributed drinking water in the arid West all benefited the mourning dove so that they are probably more numerous now than in colonial times.
These birds are quite adaptable and readily nest and feed in urban and rural areas. The mourning dove has recently even expanded its range northward.
		For further information: David D. Dolton U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Migratory Bird Management 11500 American Holly Dr. Laurel, MD 20708

References
Aldrich, J.W. 1993. Classification and distribution. Pages 47-54 in T.S. Baskett, M.W. Sayre, R.E. Tomlinson, and R.E. Mirarchi, eds. Ecology and management of the mourning dove. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA. Dolton, D.D. 1993a. The Call-count Survey: historic development and current procedures. Pages 233-252 in T.S. Baskett, M.W. Sayre, R.E. Tomlinson, and R.E. Mirarchi, eds. Ecology and management of the mourning dove. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA. Dolton, D.D. 1993b. Mourning dove breeding population status, 1993. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Laurel, MD. 16 pp. Droege, S., and J.R. Sauer. 1990. North American Breeding Bird Survey annual summary 1989. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Rep. 90(8). 16 pp. Dunks, J.H., R.E. Tomlinson, H.M. Reeves, D.D. Dolton, C.E. Braun, and T.P. Zapatka. 1982. Migration, harvest, and population dynamics of mourning doves banded in the Central Management Unit, 1967-77. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Sci. Rep.--Wildlife 249. 128 pp. Hayne, D.W. 1975. Experimental increase of mourning dove bag limit in Eastern Management Unit, 1965-72. Southeastern Association of the Game and Fish Commissioners Tech. Bull. 2. 56 pp.	Kiel, W. H., Jr. 1959. Mourning dove management units--a progress report. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Sci. Rep.--Wildlife 42. 24 pp. Reeves, H.M., and R.E. McCabe. 1993. Historical perspective. Pages 7-46 in T.S. Baskett, M.W. Sayre, R.E. Tomlinson, and R.E. Mirarchi, eds. Ecology and management of the mourning dove. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA. Sadler, K.C. 1993. Mourning dove harvest. Pages 449-458 in T.S. Baskett, M.W. Sayre, R.E. Tomlinson, and R.E. Mirarchi, eds. Ecology and management of the mourning dove. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA. Tomlinson, R.E., D.D. Dolton, H.M. Reeves, J.D. Nichols, and L.A. McKibben. 1988. Migration, harvest, and population characteristics of mourning doves banded in the Western Management Unit, 1964-77. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Tech. Rep. 13. 101 pp. Tomlinson, R.E., and J.H. Dunks. 1993. Population characteristics and trends in the Central Management Unit. Pages 305-340 in T.S. Baskett, M.W. Sayre, R.E. Tomlinson, and R.E. Mirarchi, eds. Ecology and management of the mourning dove. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA. USFWS and U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1993. 1991 National survey of fishing, hunting, and wildlife-associated recreation. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC. 124 pp.

References

Aldrich, J.W. 1993. Classification and distribution. Pages 47-54 in T.S. Baskett, M.W. Sayre, R.E. Tomlinson, and R.E. Mirarchi, eds. Ecology and management of the mourning dove. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA.

Dolton, D.D. 1993a. The Call-count Survey: historic development and current procedures. Pages 233-252 in T.S. Baskett, M.W. Sayre, R.E. Tomlinson, and R.E. Mirarchi, eds. Ecology and management of the mourning dove. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA.

Dolton, D.D. 1993b. Mourning dove breeding population status, 1993. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Laurel, MD. 16 pp.

Droege, S., and J.R. Sauer. 1990. North American Breeding Bird Survey annual summary 1989. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Rep. 90(8). 16 pp.

Dunks, J.H., R.E. Tomlinson, H.M. Reeves, D.D. Dolton, C.E. Braun, and T.P. Zapatka. 1982. Migration, harvest, and population dynamics of mourning doves banded in the Central Management Unit, 1967-77. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Sci. Rep.--Wildlife 249. 128 pp.

Hayne, D.W. 1975. Experimental increase of mourning dove bag limit in Eastern Management Unit, 1965-72. Southeastern Association of the Game and Fish Commissioners Tech. Bull. 2. 56 pp.

Kiel, W. H., Jr. 1959. Mourning dove management units--a progress report. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Sci. Rep.--Wildlife 42. 24 pp.

Reeves, H.M., and R.E. McCabe. 1993. Historical perspective. Pages 7-46 in T.S. Baskett, M.W. Sayre, R.E. Tomlinson, and R.E. Mirarchi, eds. Ecology and management of the mourning dove. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA.

Sadler, K.C. 1993. Mourning dove harvest. Pages 449-458 in T.S. Baskett, M.W. Sayre, R.E. Tomlinson, and R.E. Mirarchi, eds. Ecology and management of the mourning dove. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA.

Tomlinson, R.E., D.D. Dolton, H.M. Reeves, J.D. Nichols, and L.A. McKibben. 1988. Migration, harvest, and population characteristics of mourning doves banded in the Western Management Unit, 1964-77. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Tech. Rep. 13. 101 pp.

Tomlinson, R.E., and J.H. Dunks. 1993. Population characteristics and trends in the Central Management Unit. Pages 305-340 in T.S. Baskett, M.W. Sayre, R.E. Tomlinson, and R.E. Mirarchi, eds. Ecology and management of the mourning dove. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA.

USFWS and U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1993. 1991 National survey of fishing, hunting, and wildlife-associated recreation. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC. 124 pp.

Mourning Doves

Status and Trends