Mourning Doves in Louisiana
When mourning doves are present in Louisiana, when they nest, which native Louisiana plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 8a–10a yard.
- Status in Louisiana
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- February–September
- Broods
- Up to 5–6 per season in the south
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 8a–10a
When to expect mourning doves in Louisiana
Mourning Doves live in Louisiana all year. Mild winters make Louisiana a major wintering ground for sparrows, wrens, and even western hummingbirds. 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 coastal marsh, bottomland hardwood forest and piney uplands in the north.
Nesting in Louisiana
Across Louisiana, 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.
Very hot, humid summers and hurricane season June–November.
- 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 Louisiana plants that attract mourning doves
Of the regional native plants we track for Louisiana, these 6 provide food or cover mourning doves use:
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Leave seed heads up through winter for goldfinches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Among the first spring bloomers; early insects for returning migrants.
Feeding mourning doves through the Louisiana 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 Louisiana's winter: Mild winters make Louisiana a major wintering ground for sparrows, wrens, and even western hummingbirds.
Full diet breakdown for mourning doves · Best feeder for mourning doves
Frequently asked
Are mourning doves in Louisiana year-round?
Yes. Mourning Doves are year-round residents in Louisiana.
When do mourning doves nest in Louisiana?
Nesting in Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
Wild bergamot, Purple coneflower, Black-eyed Susan, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, Red maple are native plants in Louisiana that provide food or cover for mourning doves.
Mourning Doves in other regions
Other backyard birds in Louisiana
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 — Louisiana
- 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.