Mourning Doves in Pennsylvania
When mourning doves are present in Pennsylvania, when they nest, which native Pennsylvania plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5a–7b yard.
- Status in Pennsylvania
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- March–September
- Broods
- Up to 5–6 per season in the south
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5a–7b
When to expect mourning doves in Pennsylvania
Mourning Doves live in Pennsylvania all year. Snow cover makes suet and heated water valuable; both chickadee species meet in a narrow hybrid zone across the south of the state. 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; cold, snowy winters in the north and mountains, milder in the southeast.
Nesting in Pennsylvania
Across Pennsylvania, 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.
Warm summers; bluebirds typically raise two broods.
- Mourning Doves don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as paper birch, sugar maple for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after September.
Native Pennsylvania plants that attract mourning doves
Of the regional native plants we track for Pennsylvania, these 8 provide food or cover mourning doves use:
Fall seed.
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.
Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.
Hosts hundreds of caterpillar species; spring flowers draw early insects.
Feeding mourning doves through the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania's winter: Snow cover makes suet and heated water valuable; both chickadee species meet in a narrow hybrid zone across the south of the state.
Full diet breakdown for mourning doves · Best feeder for mourning doves
Frequently asked
Are mourning doves in Pennsylvania year-round?
Yes. Mourning Doves are year-round residents in Pennsylvania.
When do mourning doves nest in Pennsylvania?
Nesting in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
New England aster, Wild bergamot, Purple coneflower, Black-eyed Susan, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, Paper birch, Sugar maple are native plants in Pennsylvania that provide food or cover for mourning doves.
Mourning Doves in other regions
Other backyard birds in Pennsylvania
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 — Pennsylvania
- 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.