Southern Wisconsin Times

Mourning doves, known for their gentle nature and soft cooing sounds, are a favorite among bird watchers. Attracting these birds to your yard requires creating an environment that meets their specific needs. Blain’s Farm & Fleet offers guidance on how to make your yard appealing to mourning doves.

Providing the right food is crucial. Mourning doves prefer white millet, cracked corn, wheat, sunflower seeds, and safflower seeds. Given their size, they favor platform or tray feeders where they can perch comfortably but are also content feeding directly from the ground if it's clean of debris.

Planting berry bushes or seed-bearing flowers can offer additional food sources. Once mourning doves find a reliable supply of food in your yard, they are likely to return regularly.

Access to fresh water is essential for mourning doves. A shallow bird bath with one to two inches of water can serve this purpose well. Adding small stones or a ramp can help them access the water more easily. The bird bath should be placed in a sunny area away from dense vegetation where predators might hide and should be cleaned regularly to prevent algae growth and disease spread.

Creating a safe environment is important for attracting mourning doves. They need places to rest and nest such as bare branches, clotheslines, telephone wires, rooftops, tree limbs, ledges, or man-made structures around your home. Providing nesting materials like twigs and grass clippings can encourage them to build nests in your yard.

To ensure the safety of mourning doves in your yard, keep outdoor cats and other predators at bay by keeping pets indoors or using barriers. Minimize noise by placing feeders and baths in low-traffic areas. If aggressive birds frequent your yard, consider setting up separate feeding areas for mourning doves.

Creating a welcoming space for mourning doves can be rewarding for any bird enthusiast.