Mourning Doves in Ontario
When mourning doves are present in Ontario, when they nest, which native Ontario plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canadian zones 0a–7a yard.
- Status in Ontario
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- April–September
- Broods
- Up to 5–6 per season in the south
- Hardiness zones
- Canadian zones 0a–7a (southern Ontario roughly equivalent to USDA 4–6)
When to expect mourning doves in Ontario
Mourning Doves live in Ontario all year. Cold, snowy winters; feeder flocks are dominated by chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers and finches. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward waste grain and feeder seed.
Humid continental in the south, boreal and subarctic in the north; most backyard birding happens in the southern Great Lakes lowlands.
Nesting in Ontario
Across Ontario, mourning doves typically nest from April–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.
Short, warm summers; Point Pelee and Long Point are continent-famous migration sites.
- Mourning Doves don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as sugar maple, paper birch for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after September.
Native Ontario plants that attract mourning doves
Of the regional native plants we track for Ontario, these 8 provide food or cover mourning doves use:
Insects, seeds and cavities.
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Leave seed heads up through winter for goldfinches.
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.
Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.
Feeding mourning doves through the Ontario 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 Ontario's winter: Cold, snowy winters; feeder flocks are dominated by chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers and finches.
Full diet breakdown for mourning doves · Best feeder for mourning doves
Frequently asked
Are mourning doves in Ontario year-round?
Yes. Mourning Doves are year-round residents in Ontario.
When do mourning doves nest in Ontario?
Nesting in Ontario typically runs April–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 Ontario?
Sugar maple, Wild bergamot, Purple coneflower, Black-eyed Susan, New England aster, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, Paper birch are native plants in Ontario that provide food or cover for mourning doves.
Mourning Doves in other regions
Other backyard birds in Ontario
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 — Ontario
- Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada — Natural Resources Canada
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas — Birds Canada
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.