Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Beavercreek, Ohio
"Nature is never boring, every part of it is needed to make the planet whole."
The reason you may see these Mourning Doves at your backyard and birdseed feeders is that their diet consists of only seeds and millet. They are a ground feeder that will rarely perch to feed, although I have witnessed them on the side of platform feeders. Their mournful cooing is mistaken by nonbirders for being the hoot of a Barred Owl. The whistling sound you hear when they fly is not a bird call but rather their wing in motion.
This one was photographed all alone and calmly perched nearby on a Crabapple (Malus spp.) tree. Before having a longer (300mm+) telephoto zoom lens. I army crawled across my backyard as this dove slept soundly. Eventually waking up as seen here, I was already within a few feet near the tree. This moment is one of several that got me interested in bird photography.
© 2017 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.
mourningdove2017animalanimalsappleavianbeaksbirdbirdingbirdlifebirdsbirdwatchingbranchcanoncrabcrab applecrab applescrestdeciduousfeathersflightlenslimbmacrouraMalusMalus sp.mourning dovenatureohiopasseriformespasserinephotographphotographerphotographypictureplumesongsongbirdstelephototreetuftvertebratevertebrateswildlifewingsZenaidaZenaida macroura
From Songbirds
