mourning doves sitting on ground.. (1 Viewer)

I have a male/female couple who've decided to plunk down as if they had a nest ..problem is they don't have a nest in my backyard on the ground 6 ft. from my back door. Question is do Doves or for that matter any birds in general like to "take a break" from standing/perching and give their legs a rest?? Thanks everyone,take care, Steve B.

These are in NY City, USA

Hey Steve, I responded in the Gallery. Hope others will also give some insight. This is a massively common species, so there must be some info lurking around here.

Well, the dozen or so I have here always seem to just pluck down and chill out on the ground quite often.

Most wildfowl do this too, although they generally show no arboreal tendencies which a dove might. (Birds on a branch are pretty much as relaxed, just they're not on the ground).

They'd just be relaxing, our pigeons here do it all the time, the introduced turtle doves do too.

Thanks everyone..seems to be the case, they are just taking a "break". Take care, Steve B.

I think Mourning Doves are quite similar to theCollared Doves here in Europe and the ones in my garden do seem to like to take a little sit on the ground occasionally - I was concerned when I first saw it too as I'd previously seen one sitting like that after a window strike but although I don't see them sitting often they do occasionally plonk themselves down in the grass for a bit, especially in the summer they like to find a sunny patch of grass and bask there.

Thanks Paul, I noticed this afternoon a different Dove (i don't want to post the pic,as I've posted some already today),on the ground fanning one wing out as if it was damaged.. stayed that way for perhaps 2-3 minutes, then folded the wing right back up..i too thought the bird might be sick or injured but not the case..wonder if they stretch like we will sometimes..lots of fun watching them...

conbu19 said:

I noticed this afternoon a different Dove . . . on the ground fanning one wing out as if it was damaged.. stayed that way for perhaps 2-3 minutes, then folded the wing right back up..i too thought the bird might be sick or injured but not the case..wonder if they stretch like we will sometimes..

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Probably just sunbathing. I see Mourning Doves on the ground with out-stretched wings regularly in my backyard in Reno. Sometimes they hold position for 10 or 15 minutes & seem to be almost comatose. The point of the exercise is apparently parasite control, flushing out feather mites and other vermin by over-heating.

Thanks for your response Fugl, just strange to see an animal thats moving most of the time go into an odd looking pose and hold it...Take care,Steve B.

11 years later and it’s still a handy tip, I’ve got one of the doves who hang around here plonk itself down in the sun, was worried till I saw this thread and while I’ve been joining the website so I could say thanks, he/she has moved into another spot, then into the shade, so I guess it’s fine, there’s water there & all the birds know it. I've never seen them do this before either, I already feel a little sorry for them as they seem so alone, they hang around the edge of the pigeons, but not really with them, I think there’s a matched pair and there’s been an awful lot of “whoo whooing“ going on if you catch my drift.

I actually have a young female blackbird that’s decided to be my ‘bestie’ and will literally fly from other rooftops to land at my door or on the railing which us amazingly cute, of course there’s an ulterior motive, I’ve discovered their favorite fruit ... tinned pears 🍐 and boy do they love them the friendly one I oh so originally named Blackie comes to me up to 6 or 7 times a day and the rest of her little tribe are slowly warming up to me too, which in layman’s terms means they too know where the food is.