Listen to the Mourning dove
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Mourning dove
The Mourning dove is a bird in the family Columbidae (order Columbiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”.
What does the Mourning dove sound like?
Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once. Songs tend to be long and patterned and are used to hold territory and attract a mate; calls are short signals for contact, alarm and flight.
From Wikipedia
The mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family, Columbidae. The bird is also known as the American mourning dove, the rain dove, and colloquially as the turtle dove, and it was once known as the Carolina pigeon and Carolina turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread North American birds and a popular gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure is due to its prolific breeding; in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods of two young each in a single year. The wings make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing, a form of sonation. The bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph).
Related birds in the genus Zenaida
More from the family Columbidae
Rock dove
Columba livia
Common wood pigeon
Columba palumbus
Eurasian collared dove
Streptopelia decaocto
European turtle dove
Streptopelia turtur
Stock dove
Columba oenas
Spotted dove
Spilopelia chinensis
Laughing dove
Spilopelia senegalensis
Kererū
Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Nilgiri wood pigeon
Columba elphinstonii
Orange-breasted green pigeon
Treron bicinctus
Frequently asked questions
What does a Mourning dove sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the Mourning dove on this page. Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once.
Is the Mourning dove endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Mourning dove as “least concern”.
What family does the Mourning dove belong to?
The Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) belongs to the family Columbidae in the order Columbiformes.
Sources & credits
- Zenaida macroura vocalizations - pone.0027052.s009 by Francis C, Ortega C, Cruz A – CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q750027 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Mourning dove – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Rhododendrites – CC BY-SA 4.0