Doves
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
A ground feeder. Doves rarely use elevated tubes; scatter millet or cracked corn on a low tray or the ground beneath a feeder.
- Food to offer
- Millet & corn
- Mixed seed
- Feeder that suits it
- Ground or platform
- Size
- Medium
- When to expect it
- Year-round (widespread)
- Region
- Widespread
Photos of Mourning Dove
4 imagesFeeding Mourning Dove at a glance
For someone putting out food for the first time.
What to put out
- Millet
- Cracked corn
- Mixed seed
Best feeder and placement
Ground or a low platform/tray. It will not use a small tube.
How it behaves at the feeder
Feeds on the ground, often in pairs, and is easily displaced by larger birds.
How to recognise it
Slim, grey-brown dove with a long pointed tail, black spots on the wing and a small head.
Often confused with
Eurasian Collared-Dove — Collared-Dove is paler grey with a black half-collar on the back of the neck and a square-tipped tail.
One thing to watch
Ground feeding attracts rodents. Feed only what gets eaten in a session and rake spillage.
A ground feeder, not a perch bird
FeederWatch is direct about this: many species, including sparrows and doves, prefer to feed on large, flat surfaces and may not visit any type of elevated feeder. Doves rarely use elevated tubes.
The fix is not a different feeder but a different surface. Scatter millet or cracked corn on the ground, or use a low platform or tray. FeederWatch notes that a tray placed near the ground is most likely to attract juncos, doves and sparrows.
Where doves actually feed
| Setup | Does it work for doves? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ground scatter | Yes | Simplest option; rake up waste regularly |
| Low platform or tray | Yes | Keeps seed off wet ground |
| Large hopper | Sometimes | Large hoppers allow doves to feed, per FeederWatch |
| Small tube with short perches | No | Designed to exclude larger birds |
Millet and cracked corn
Millet is a small, round grain and a favoured food of many smaller ground-foraging birds; a handful sprinkled on the ground is the standard way to keep juncos and sparrows happy, and doves use it too. Cracked corn attracts doves, quail and sparrows, and FeederWatch suggests mixing it with millet and feeding a scoopful on the ground or a platform.
Both are inexpensive, which is part of the appeal — but they are also the foods most likely to end up as waste if you over-feed. A little, refreshed often, beats a large pile.
Common questions
Why won't doves use my tube feeder?
Because they are ground feeders. FeederWatch notes doves may not visit any type of elevated feeder. Use a tray near the ground or scatter seed instead.
Do doves eat sunflower?
They can, but millet and cracked corn are the foods FeederWatch associates with them. Sunflower is better aimed at birds with bills for it.
How do I stop ground seed attracting rats?
Feed only what gets eaten in a session, rake up spillage, and use a tray rather than broadcasting seed. Rotating the feeding spot also helps.