Doves are a universal symbol of Peace
Doves have a long connection with the winter holiday season.
Along with the Magi that brought gifts to the Holy Family at the first Nativity scene, there were shepherds who brought gifts of fruit, honey and doves. They are also featured in the popular Christmas Carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” On the second day of Christmas, two turtle doves were given to one’s true love. The doves were practical gifts of food, but they also symbolized love and peace. Michigan and Wisconsin adopted the Mourning Dove as their state symbols of peace.
On this holiday season, the world could certainly use more peace and definitely more love. Of course doves cannot literally bring peace and love to the world, but living symbols can remind us to do our parts in spreading good cheer around us.
There are 344 species of pigeons and doves in the world and they exist on every continent except Antarctica. This makes doves great global and universal symbols of peace.
The most common and widespread native dove in North America is the Mourning Dove. There are an estimated 120 million birds throughout the continent, and it is abundant in Sonoma County. The Mourning Dove is slender, with a long tail and colored in soft umber tones with pinkish highlights. We probably know the Mourning Dove best for its sad song of WHOO – OOO-OOO- oo-oo. The penetrating sadness of the song gives this bird its name.
Mourning Doves are incredible birds capable of flying a sustained speed of 55 miles per hour. They may also have up six nests per year. Males perform impressive aerial dances to show off to females. They rise up into the air with wings flapping noisily and then float downward in wide circles.
After the female chooses her mate, the pair will gather nesting material together. Often, the male will gather small sticks, pine needles or dry grasses and pass them to the female while sitting on her back. She does most of the actual nest construction. The nests are very simple and only take about 3 days to build. She will then lay 2 eggs and both partners will take turns with incubation duties.
Doves forage for seeds on the ground, scooping them up quickly and then going to a safe place to quietly digest them. They have a special organ in their esophagus called a crop, a pouch that can hold over 17,000 grass seeds. Sometimes you can actually tell that a crop is full by observing a dove’s swollen throat. The crop is amazing because it also doubles as a milk-producer for nestlings. Parents will stop eating a few days before eggs hatch to clear all seeds out of their crops. The crop lining then produces gooey cottage cheese-textured milk that is high in protein and fat, much higher than human or cow’s milk. After about 3 days, the parents will mix a few softened seeds in the crop milk to feed the chicks. Once the nestlings leave the nest, the male takes over caring for them while the female prepares to produce another clutch of eggs.
Attracting Mourning Doves to your yard is simple. Spread a little seed on the ground, or just let seeds from a platform feeder fall on the ground below. If you don’t want to invest in bird seed, putting out a little water can be very effective. With their very dry seed diet, doves need to drink frequently.
As we observe Mourning Doves this December, we can let them remind us to spread peace throughout our community. We can imagine the spirit of peace flying around the world on the wings of doves. Or at least we can have a peaceful and joyful holiday season with the local people that we love.
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Being a volunteer not only helps count birds, especially important after our fires, but is also an opportunity to learn.
December 19 - Santa Rosa CBC is run by the Redwood Region Ornithology Society - rros.org.
December 27 - West County CBC is run by the Madrone Audubon Society - madroneaudubon.org/birds-christmas-bird-count.php.
December 14 - 29 - natureali.org/cbcs.htm
December 14 - 29 - audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count
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Native Songbird Care & Conservation
8050 Elphick Rd, Sebastopol, CA 95472
(707) 484-6502
nativesongbirdcare.org
Bird Rescue Center
3430 Chanate Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 523-2473
birdrescuecenter.org
Wildlife Rescue of Sonoma County
403 Mecham Rd., Petaluma, CA 94952
Mail: P.O.Box 448, Cotati,CA 94931
(707) 992-0274
scwildliferescue.org
Birds of a Feather Rescue
2327 West Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95407
707-360-7932
birdsofafeatherrescue.org
Sonoma County Animal Services
1247 Century Ct, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 565-7100
sonomacounty.ca.gov/Health/Animal-Services/Wildlife
