Mourning Dove at Enchanted Forest Park

"Mourning Dove at Enchanted Forest Park"

 

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY – ENCHANTED FOREST PARK, FL

Photo of a Mourning Dove taken at Enchanted Forest Park. Camera used for the picture was a Nikon D80 with a Tamron 28-300mm lens..

The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family (Columbidae). The bird is also called the Western Turtle Dove or the American Mourning Dove or Rain Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. It is also the leading gamebird, with up to 70 million birds shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain such pressure stems from its prolific breeding: in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods a year. Its plaintive woo-oo-oo-oo call gives the bird its name. The wings can make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing, and the bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph).

Mourning Doves are light grey and brown and generally muted in color. Males and females are similar in appearance. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents incubate and care for the young. Mourning Doves eat almost exclusively seeds, but the young are fed crop milk by their parents.

It is a graceful, slender-tailed, small-headed dove that’s common across the continent. Mourning Doves perch on telephone wires and forage for seeds on the ground; their flight is fast and bullet straight. Their soft, drawn-out calls sound like laments. When taking off, their wings make a sharp whistling or whinnying. Mourning Doves are the most frequently hunted species in North America.

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    12 Thoughts to “Mourning Dove at Enchanted Forest Park”

    1. Joyce79

      Fabulous photo

    2. Marla2121

      Excellent photo Alan S. Hochman

    3. KenF23

      Love your photo’s

    4. Howard Glatter

      Got a pair in my spruce outside my front door, scare the crap out of me when they flush ( not a bathroom metaphor)

    5. Edie.Pittolo

      Outstanding!

    6. mrsroadrunner

      Nice capture Alan!!

    7. Steven.Goldman

      COOL

    8. Janice

      Masterpiece. Keep it up Alan.

    9. Maragitado

      Beautiful photo, like all you take and share with us.
      Thank you

    10. Alan S. Hochman

      You’re very welcome!

    11. jane goodwin

      Lovely opinions to match lovely work 🙂

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    Alan S Hochman Photography