Since today is my 1 year anniversary with the most beautiful, intelligent and amazing woman in the world, I figured we would celebrate by learning about the symbol of love and peace. Of course, I am talking about the Mourning Dove. This symbolic bird is also known as the Turtle Dove, American Mourning Dove  or the Rain Dove and can be found throughout North America. Actually, this particular bird is one of the most abundant and widespread birds in North America. Interestingly, the symbol of love and peace is also one of the most hunted game birds in the USA with more than 20 million birds shot annually. Today, we are going to put the guns down and simply observe and learn about this beautiful little bird.

Why is the Mourning Dove a symbol of love?

I am not 100% sure why these majestic birds are the symbol for peace and love but if you look at the bond these birds form with each other, it is pretty easy to take a guess. The love between two Mourning Doves will begin with the male noisily but gracefully flying overhead before landing and approaching the object of his affection with a puffed out chest, bobbing head and a few more loud calls. Once the courting is out of the way, the pair will help each other build a nest. Granted, the guy probably gets in the way as they are known to stand on the females back to hand her stuff for the nest. After the nest is constructed, the female will lay two eggs and both parents will take turns incubating the eggs. Typically the male gets the morning and afternoon shift while the female takes the evening and night shift. It is this type of team work that probably lead these birds to being known as the symbol for love.

Tough to Digest

When they are not courting or taking care of their family, the Mourning Dove will go out hunting. Although they will eat insects and snails, this behaviour is quite rare. After all they wouldn’t be known as the bird of peace if they went around killing things, would they? About 99% of their diet consists of a little thing known as seeds. Sure it may sound boring but I bet it is a whole lot easier to catch than a quick and feisty beetle. To help digest their diet of seeds, the Mourning Dove will often feast on sand and other gritty materials, which helps break up their tough to digest food. Don’t get me wrong, I like seeds as much as the next guy but if it meant having to eat rocks…I think I would stick to eating insects and snails.