Mourning Doves in Delaware
When mourning doves are present in Delaware, when they nest, which native Delaware plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 7a–8a yard.
- Status in Delaware
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- March–September
- Broods
- Up to 5–6 per season in the south
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 7a–8a
When to expect mourning doves in Delaware
Mourning Doves live in Delaware all year. Mild winters with modest snow; coastal marshes draw huge numbers of wintering sparrows and blackbirds. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward waste grain and feeder seed.
Humid subtropical to temperate coastal plain between Delaware Bay and the Atlantic.
Nesting in Delaware
Across Delaware, mourning doves typically nest from March–September. Nest site: flimsy twig platform in trees, shrubs, gutters or ledges. Females lay 2 eggs, incubate for 14 days, and young leave the nest after 12–15 days.
Hot, humid summers; bay-shore woodlots are important migrant stopovers in May.
- Mourning Doves don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as sugar maple, red maple for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after September.
Native Delaware plants that attract mourning doves
Of the regional native plants we track for Delaware, these 7 provide food or cover mourning doves use:
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Hosts hundreds of caterpillar species; spring flowers draw early insects.
Among the first spring bloomers; early insects for returning migrants.
Feeding mourning doves through the Delaware year
Doves fill their crop quickly at ground trays and platform feeders, then digest on a nearby perch.
- Best foods: Millet, Cracked corn, Black-oil sunflower, Safflower.
- In Delaware's winter: Mild winters with modest snow; coastal marshes draw huge numbers of wintering sparrows and blackbirds.
Full diet breakdown for mourning doves · Best feeder for mourning doves
Frequently asked
Are mourning doves in Delaware year-round?
Yes. Mourning Doves are year-round residents in Delaware.
When do mourning doves nest in Delaware?
Nesting in Delaware typically runs March–September, with up to 5–6 per season in the south. Clutches are 2 eggs, incubated for 14 days.
What native plants attract mourning doves in Delaware?
Wild bergamot, Black-eyed Susan, New England aster, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, Sugar maple, Red maple are native plants in Delaware that provide food or cover for mourning doves.
Mourning Doves in other regions
Other backyard birds in Delaware
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
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Delaware
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- 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.