How to attract mourning doves to your yard
Mourning Doves respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 56 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. The Mourning Dove is a year-round resident in 50 states and provinces, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut and 44 more — there, a yard can host it in every season. It arrives only to breed in 6, such as Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, so set up before spring arrival.
Plant what mourning doves use
These native plants are tied to the Mourning Dove in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Perennial | 55 | Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows. |
| Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | Perennial | 54 | Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos. |
| Tall goldenrod Solidago altissima | Perennial | 54 | Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter. |
| Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Perennial | 54 | Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches. |
| New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae | Perennial | 38 | Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows. |
| Common sunflower Helianthus annuus | Perennial | 29 | Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed. |
| Sugar maple Acer saccharum | Tree | 29 | Hosts hundreds of caterpillar species; spring flowers draw early insects. |
| Purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea | Perennial | 27 | Leave seed heads up through winter for goldfinches. |
| Red maple Acer rubrum | Tree | 27 | Among the first spring bloomers; early insects for returning migrants. |
| Paper birch Betula papyrifera | Tree | 26 | Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter. |
Your list covers 2 plant layers (perennial, tree). Layering matters: add structure around these — a shrub layer under the trees gives mourning doves a safe approach. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Almost entirely seeds, taken on the ground.
- Warm months
- Seeds of grasses, ragweed and crops
- Cold months
- Waste grain and feeder seed
- At feeders
- Millet, Cracked corn, Black-oil sunflower, Safflower
Feeder style matters as much as food: platform / tray feeder is the first choice for this bird. Doves fill their crop quickly at ground trays and platform feeders, then digest on a nearby perch. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Flimsy twig platform in trees, shrubs, gutters or ledges.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 2 eggs
- Incubation
- 14 days
- Nestling period
- 12–15 days
- Broods per year
- Up to 5–6 per season in the south
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around February in Alabama but not until April in Wyoming. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; residents usually find a stocked yard first.
Frequently asked
What attracts mourning doves to a yard?
Food they actually eat (millet, cracked corn, black-oil sunflower), native plants such as Black-eyed Susan, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, clean water and suitable nesting cover: flimsy twig platform in trees, shrubs, gutters or ledges.
What plants attract mourning doves?
Across the Mourning Dove's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima), Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting mourning doves?
Nesting starts around February in Alabama and as late as April in Wyoming. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Mourning Dove — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Mourning Dove life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Mourning Dove — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.