Florida · Year-round resident

Mourning Doves in Florida

When mourning doves are present in Florida, when they nest, which native Florida plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 8a–11b yard.

Pigeons and doves (Columbidae)Mourning DoveZenaida macroura

Status in Florida: Year-round resident
Nesting window: February–September
Broods: Up to 5–6 per season in the south
Hardiness zones: USDA 8a–11b

When to expect mourning doves in Florida

Mourning Doves live in Florida all year. Winter is the busy feeder season as northern migrants — goldfinches, wrens and others — arrive from October. 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 in the north to tropical in the Keys; a wet summer and a dry winter season.

Nesting in Florida

Across Florida, mourning doves typically nest from February–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.

Heat, humidity and summer storms: boxes need drainage holes, ventilation and shade, and nectar spoils fast.

Mourning Doves don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as red maple for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after September.

Native Florida plants that attract mourning doves

Of the regional native plants we track for Florida, these 5 provide food or cover mourning doves use:

Purple coneflower

Echinacea purpurea · Perennial

Leave seed heads up through winter for goldfinches.

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta · Perennial

Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.

Little bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium · Perennial

Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.

Tall goldenrod

Solidago altissima · Perennial

Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Red maple

Acer rubrum · Tree

Among the first spring bloomers; early insects for returning migrants.

Feeding mourning doves through the Florida 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 Florida's winter: Winter is the busy feeder season as northern migrants — goldfinches, wrens and others — arrive from October.

Full diet breakdown for mourning doves · Best feeder for mourning doves

Frequently asked

Are mourning doves in Florida year-round?

Yes. Mourning Doves are year-round residents in Florida.

When do mourning doves nest in Florida?

Nesting in Florida typically runs February–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 Florida?

Purple coneflower, Black-eyed Susan, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, Red maple are native plants in Florida that provide food or cover for mourning doves.

Other backyard birds in Florida

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Orchard Oriole Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Painted Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird House Sparrow European Starling Rufous Hummingbird Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove White-winged Dove

Sources

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.