Perch Supply
Diet

What do mourning doves eat?

Almost entirely seeds, taken on the ground.

Pigeons and doves (Columbidae)Mourning DoveZenaida macroura

Spring and summer diet

  • Seeds of grasses, ragweed and crops

Fall and winter diet

  • Waste grain and feeder seed

Best feeder foods

  • Millet
  • Cracked corn
  • Black-oil sunflower
  • Safflower

Doves fill their crop quickly at ground trays and platform feeders, then digest on a nearby perch.

Which feeder works best for mourning doves →

Where mourning doves need winter food

Regions where mourning doves are present in the cold months:

AlabamaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaQuebecRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Frequently asked

What do mourning doves eat?

Almost entirely seeds, taken on the ground.

What is the best food to feed mourning doves?

Millet, Cracked corn, Black-oil sunflower, Safflower.

What do mourning doves eat in winter?

Waste grain and feeder seed.

Sources

  1. Mourning Dove — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. Mourning Dove life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. Mourning Dove — Audubon Guide to North American Birds

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.