Mourning Dove

birds · North America · sound · super breeder

Whistling wings. When a mourning dove takes off or lands, its wings make an unusual whistling sound. This special sound is called sonation, and it happens naturally because of the way air moves through their feathers.

Super fast fliers. Mourning doves are strong, speedy birds that can fly up to 55 miles per hour. That's almost as fast as a car driving through a school zone.

Baby-making machines. In warm places, one pair of mourning doves can raise up to six broods, or groups of baby birds, in a single year. Since each brood has two babies, that means one pair could have twelve chicks annually.

Everywhere in North America. Mourning doves are one of the most common and widespread birds across North America, so you might hear their sad, gentle cooing sound in many different places.

Sad, pretty call. The mourning dove got its name from its cooing sound, which is soft and slow, almost like it's mourning or feeling sad. People sometimes mistake this call for an owl's hoot.