Quick Answer
Mourning doves do sit on their babies for periods of time after the babies hatch from their eggs. The parent doves take turns sitting on the nest to provide warmth and protection to the hatchlings, known as squabs, in the first days after they emerge from the eggs. The squabs cannot regulate their own body temperature at first, so the parent doves brooding behavior is essential.
Do Mourning Doves Sit on Their Eggs Until They Hatch?
Yes, mourning doves diligently sit on their eggs until they hatch, only leaving the nest for short periods to eat and drink. The female lays two white eggs which both parents take turns incubating. The eggs hatch after about 14-15 days of continuous incubation.
Mourning doves have a strong natural instinct to incubate their eggs. They develop a bare patch of skin on their belly called a brood patch which has increased blood flow and is warmer than the rest of their body. The parent dove presses this brood patch directly against the eggs to transfer heat.
Both the male and female parents share brooding duties equally. They patiently sit for long periods only getting up occasionally to turn the eggs. This constant contact is needed to keep the eggs at the proper warm temperature for embryonic development.
Do Mourning Doves Continue to Sit on the Nest After the Eggs Hatch?
Yes, mourning doves continue sitting on the nest after the eggs hatch and the hatchlings emerge. The parent doves are very attentive to the needs of the vulnerable hatchlings, called squabs, and provide brooding behavior as needed in the first days and weeks after hatching.
The squabs that emerge from the eggs are altricial, which means they are fragile, naked of feathers, blind, and completely dependent on their parents. They are unable to regulate their own body temperature at this stage. To keep the hatchlings warm, the parent doves take turns brooding them just as they did when incubating the eggs.
How Long Do Mourning Doves Sit on Newly Hatched Squabs?
In the beginning after hatching, the parent mourning doves spend nearly all their time brooding the squabs to maintain the proper body temperature. As the squabs get older and develop the ability to thermoregulate, the amount of time the parents spend sitting on the nest gradually decreases.
Typically, the parent doves actively brood the hatchlings 75% of the time for the first 5 days after hatching. After 10 days, this brooding time decreases to around 50%. By 15 days post-hatching, the squabs require less active brooding as they are growing feathers that help regulate their temperature.
When Do Squabs Leave the Nest?
Mourning dove squabs leave the nest at about 11-15 days old, once they can fly short distances. The adult doves may continue to protect and feed the fledglings on the ground for another 1-2 weeks as they grow stronger flying skills to evade predators.
Do Both Parents Share Brooding Responsibilities?
Yes, both mourning dove parents actively participate in brooding and caring for hatchlings. They share incubation duties equally, alternating periods on the nest throughout the day and night. After hatching, the adult doves continue to swap off, with one parent guarding the nest while the other is away finding food.
Mourning doves display a high level of parental cooperation unusual among birds. The male and female are monogamous mates and bring food for the squabs together. This joint effort devoted to the hatchlings’ care ensures their best chances of survival.
Why Do Mourning Doves Sit on Their Eggs and Babies?
Mourning doves sit on their eggs and newborn squabs primarily to provide vital warmth, but their brooding behavior also serves other important purposes:
Thermoregulation
A mother dove’s constant contact with her eggs transfers her body heat to the embryos inside, keeping them at the proper temperature of about 37–38 °C needed for normal development. After hatching, the squabs cannot yet thermoregulate and depend on the parents’ warmth.
Protection
By sitting on top of the eggs and nestlings, adult mourning doves physically shield the vulnerable hatchlings from predators and the elements. Their presence also deters predators nearby.
Stimulation
Parent doves turning the eggs while brooding helps stimulate the embryos inside. Contact with parents promotes healthy growth in hatchlings.
Sanitation
Brooding mourning doves keep the nest clean by consuming eggshell fragments and preventing bacteria buildup from chick waste. Their body heat also dries the nest. Proper sanitation ensures a healthy environment.
How Do Mourning Doves Regulate Temperature on Eggs?
Mourning doves use several methods to steadily transfer their warmth to developing eggs:
– Brood patch – This bare area of skin on the belly has increased blood circulation, making it several degrees warmer than the rest of the body. The parent dove presses it closely against the eggs while sitting.
– Rotating eggs – Parent doves periodically roll the eggs with their beak while brooding, ensuring even heating.
– Feather covering – The dove’s breast feathers provide insulation over the eggs. The feathers are fluffed out to maximize coverage.
– Nest maintenance – Doves keep the nest structure tight and lined with grass and down to prevent heat loss.
– Trading duties – By alternating brooding shifts, the parent doves ensure the eggs are never left unattended or get too cold.
How Does a Mourning Dove’s Brood Patch Work?
A mourning dove’s brood patch is an area of featherless, swollen, wrinkled skin on the bird’s lower breast and belly used to transfer warmth to eggs during incubation. It has the following special characteristics:
– Bald spot – Feathers are shed from this patch to allow direct contact between the dove’s skin and the eggs.
– Increased blood vessels – Extra blood vessels develop under the skin, delivering greater blood flow. The warmer blood heats the brood patch.
– Thickened skin – More fat and connective tissue make the skin about 3-5 times thicker than surrounding areas. This slows heat loss.
– Skin flattening – Wrinkles in the skin disappear and it becomes very smooth. This increases the contact surface touching the eggs for maximum heat transfer.
– Skin sensitivity – Nerve receptors in the skin become enlarged and more sensitive, allowing precise regulation of brooding.
Brood Patch Development
In mourning doves, the brood patch begins developing about 2-5 days before the female starts laying eggs. At first the skin reddens as blood vessels increase. Then the feathers gradually fall off, leaving it bald. It reaches full size just before incubation starts. It remains for several weeks after the eggs hatch until the squabs need less warmth.
How Does the Brooding Schedule Work Between Mourning Dove Parents?
Mourning doves work as a team to share brooding duties, following an efficient system:
Incubating Eggs
– The female takes the first night shift after laying eggs while the male roosts nearby.
– In the morning, they switch so the female can eat. She returns to incubate through the afternoon.
– They alternate 4-6 hour shifts around the clock with short breaks for feeding and hydration.
Brooding Hatchlings
– For the first 5 days after hatching, one parent is always on the nest providing constant warmth 75% of the time.
– After the squabs develop, shifts are reduced to 3-4 hours during the day and 4-8 hours overnight.
– Both parents continue to share sitting duties until the squabs can thermoregulate on their own.
Benefits of Shared Brooding
– Ensures eggs and squabs receive continuous warmth
– Allows each parent to take breaks for self-maintenance
– Strengthens pair bonding between mates
– Provides security from having both parents actively guarding
What Problems Occur if Mourning Doves Abandon Nest?
If mourning doves abandon their nest before the eggs hatch or squabs can fly, the following problems occur:
Eggs
– Embryos die from cold exposure without the parent’s warmth
– Eggs are vulnerable to predators without a protective adult nearby
– Eggs can rot or become infested with bacteria without the parent turning them
Hatchlings
– Squabs get hypothermia without the warming parent dove
– Helpless squabs have higher risk of predators like snakes or crows
– Nestlings starve without regurgitated food from parents
– Waste accumulates and nest gets dirty without parent maintenance
Abandoned mourning dove eggs or hatchlings almost never survive on their own. Without the diligent care from adult doves, they succumb to exposure, starvation, or predators.
How Does Weather Affect Mourning Dove Nesting?
The weather can significantly impact mourning doves while nesting. Here are some effects:
Weather Factor | Effect on Nesting Doves |
---|---|
Hot sun | Doves sit tighter on eggs and newly hatched squabs to shade them |
Rain | Doves brood more closely over the nest to keep contents dry |
Wind | Doves orient their bodies to block the nest and may add nest lining |
Cold temperatures | Doves brood eggs and nestlings almost continuously to maintain warmth |
Storms | Doves may temporarily abandon nest until severe weather passes |
Extreme heat or cold prompts the mourning dove parents to spend more time brooding to protect the eggs or nestlings. However, severe storms may cause them to leave the nest completely until conditions improve.
How Do Mourning Doves Feed Their Newly Hatched Babies?
For the first few days after hatching, mourning dove parents do not actively feed the young squabs. The hatchlings survive off the yolk sac they absorb before emerging from the eggs. After this, the adult doves begin feeding the squabs regurgitated “crop milk.”
Crop milk is a nutritious secretion the doves produce in their crop. Both parents’ crops enlarge and fill with this milk which contains proteins, fats, minerals, immune cells, and growth factors. The adults then regurgitate this milk into the begging squabs’ mouths.
Around 10-14 days old, the squabs are also fed seeds and plant matter regurgitated by the parents. The diet gradually transitions to 100% seeds and insects as the nestlings grow. The doves continue to feed the fledglings for some days after they learn to fly and leave the nest.
What is Mourning Dove Crop Milk?
– A nourishing substance containing 10-20% protein and 10-15% fat, more than mammalian milk.
– Produced in both male and female parent doves’ crop pouches.
– Composed of epidermal cells sloughed from the crop lining.
– Concentrated source of antibodies to protect hatchlings.
– Secreted for the first 3-4 days after hatching to quickly boost growth.
Conclusion
Mourning doves display incredibly dedicated parenting behavior. Their constant brooding while incubating eggs and after hatching is essential to protect the vulnerable offspring. Both dove parents share the workload equally by alternating shifts on and off the nest. Their teamwork and attentiveness continue while gradually weaning the squabs off crop milk and teaching them to fly and feed independently. Thanks to the mourning doves’ diligent care, the helpless hatchlings can survive and thrive.