What Do Baby Mourning Doves Eat?

There are many times when you see a baby bird on the ground and you may want to pick it up, but be aware that if it is a mourning dove you should leave it where you found it. The only thing that can feed a baby mourning dove is its mother or father, and if you touch it the parents won't want their young bird back.

  1. What Does a Baby Mourning Dove Eat?

    • After hatching from its egg a baby mourning dove will eat "pigeons milk" for the first two weeks. After that two week period the dove will be strong enough to fly, and then they will be able to leave the nest with their parents and hunt for their own food.

    What is Pigeons Milk?

    • Pigeons milk, also known as "crop milk" is created by pigeons and doves when they release a secretion from their crop. The crop is a small area where food goes below the neck and just above the breast of the bird. This milk is high in protein and fat, and has the texture of cottage cheese along with a light yellow coloring.

    What Do Adult Mourning Doves Eat?

    • An adult mourning dove will usually eat seeds, insects, fruit and waste grain. They mostly prefer to eat seeds, and this will contribute to 95 percent of their daily diet. They usually find them on the ground, but will also find them in trees and bushes. Agricultural crops such as oats, corn and barley are also favorites of the mourning dove.

    What Types of Seeds Should I Put in My Feeder?

    • To attract mourning doves to your bird feeder you will want to fill it with cracked corn, wheat, and weed seeds, and also scatter some onto the ground. You should also try planting buckwheat and ragweed to attract these birds.