Mourning Doves in Georgia
When mourning doves are present in Georgia, when they nest, which native Georgia plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 7a–9a yard.
- Status in Georgia
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- February–September
- Broods
- Up to 5–6 per season in the south
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 7a–9a
When to expect mourning doves in Georgia
Mourning Doves live in Georgia all year. Mild winters bring irregular purple finch and pine-siskin irruptions from the north. 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, with cooler mountains in the north and a warm coastal plain in the south.
Nesting in Georgia
Across Georgia, 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.
Hot, humid summers; bluebirds can raise three broods but boxes in full sun overheat.
- 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 Georgia plants that attract mourning doves
Of the regional native plants we track for Georgia, these 7 provide food or cover mourning doves use:
Seed heads in fall.
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Leave seed heads up through winter for goldfinches.
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 Georgia 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 Georgia's winter: Mild winters bring irregular purple finch and pine-siskin irruptions from the north.
Full diet breakdown for mourning doves · Best feeder for mourning doves
Frequently asked
Are mourning doves in Georgia year-round?
Yes. Mourning Doves are year-round residents in Georgia.
When do mourning doves nest in Georgia?
Nesting in Georgia 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 Georgia?
Black-eyed Susan, Wild bergamot, Purple coneflower, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, Sugar maple, Red maple are native plants in Georgia that provide food or cover for mourning doves.
Mourning Doves in other regions
Other backyard birds in Georgia
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 — Georgia
- 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.