Mourning Doves in Virginia
When mourning doves are present in Virginia, when they nest, which native Virginia plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5b–8a yard.
- Status in Virginia
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- March–September
- Broods
- Up to 5–6 per season in the south
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5b–8a
When to expect mourning doves in Virginia
Mourning Doves live in Virginia all year. Moderate winters with periodic snow; purple finches and occasional northern finches visit feeders. 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 east, cooler and snowier in the Blue Ridge and Allegheny highlands.
Nesting in Virginia
Across Virginia, 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, humid summers; House Wrens and hummingbirds breed statewide.
- 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 Virginia plants that attract mourning doves
Of the regional native plants we track for Virginia, these 8 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.
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.
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 Virginia 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 Virginia's winter: Moderate winters with periodic snow; purple finches and occasional northern finches visit feeders.
Full diet breakdown for mourning doves · Best feeder for mourning doves
Frequently asked
Are mourning doves in Virginia year-round?
Yes. Mourning Doves are year-round residents in Virginia.
When do mourning doves nest in Virginia?
Nesting in Virginia 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 Virginia?
Wild bergamot, Purple coneflower, Black-eyed Susan, New England aster, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, Sugar maple, Red maple are native plants in Virginia that provide food or cover for mourning doves.
Mourning Doves in other regions
Other backyard birds in Virginia
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 — Virginia
- 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.