March 14, 2010 - Courtship Coos

Welcome to the Nature Notebook.

As the early morning sun climbs above the horizon, a plaintive call issues forth. Often mistaken for an owl, the courtship call of a male mourning dove is a series of cooing notes. This can be followed by a whistling twitter as the male flies from its perch. Courtship in mourning doves begins with the male puffing out his throat and bobbing his tail while cooing. This is often followed by a courtship flight. The male dove will fly to about 100 feet high, then glide back down to the female in wide, sweeping circles. He will also strut and bow repeatedly in front of the female dove. After flocking together all winter, these courtship displays between pairs of doves is an early indicator of spring.

This is PPL's naturalist, Jon Beam, with the Nature Notebook for WVIA.