The mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is a medium-sized dove native to North America. With its familiar cooing call and sleek silhouette, the mourning dove is one of the most recognizable and widespread birds across much of the United States. But just where did this common visitor originate? Understanding the native range of the mourning dove can provide insight into its natural history and current distribution.
Original Range in North America
The mourning dove is indigenous to North America and can be found across most of the lower 48 United States, Mexico and areas of Central America, and the Caribbean. Historic records and subfossil remains indicate the mourning dove originally ranged from coastal southeastern Alaska across southern Canada and most of the continental United States. In the 1700s and 1800s, the mourning dove’s range extended north into Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia in Canada. However, the species has since disappeared from many of these more northern areas.
The mourning dove’s original southern limits in North America reached eastern Oaxaca, Veracruz, and the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The species could also be found along the Pacific coast and interior highlands south to Panama. Caribbean populations existed in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Virgin Islands, and along the coasts of Central America. Though still resident in many of these areas today, the overall extent of the mourning dove’s range has diminished over the last 200 years.
Key Areas
Some key areas that delineate the historic native range of the mourning dove in North America include:
- Northwest limits: Southeastern Alaska, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories
- Northeast limits: Southern Quebec, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
- Southwest limits: Baja California, Sinaloa, Jalisco, Oaxaca, Chiapas in Mexico
- Southeast limits: Florida, the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Yucatan Peninsula
Within this broad geographic range, mourning doves occupied a variety of open and semi-open habitats including grasslands, agricultural areas, savannas, open woodlands, desert scrub, and coastal plains. The availability of seeds and grains for food and nesting sites were key habitat requirements throughout their native range.
Current North American Range
Though still widespread, the mourning dove’s range in North America has contracted since historical times. The species no longer consistently occurs in many parts of the northern United States, southern Canada, or northern Mexico where it was once regularly found.
United States
Mourning doves reside year-round throughout the lower 48 United States. They are absent as a breeding species from only Northeastern states like Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Themourning dove’s breeding range extends north into southeastern Minnesota, southern Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and southern New England. Parts of the Pacific Northwest including western Oregon and Washington also mark the northern limits of the mourning dove’s current range.
Canada and Mexico
In Canada, breeding populations are now confined to southern Ontario and extreme southwestern British Columbia. Mourning doves occur in Mexico year-round except for the northern tier of states and the Yucatan Peninsula where they are usually only present during winter. Permanent populations remain along both coasts, the interior highlands, and southeastern Mexico.
Caribbean
Resident mourning dove populations persist throughout their historic range in the Caribbean. Year-round populations exist in Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and the Bahamas. Along Central America’s Caribbean coast, mourning doves can be found from Belize to Panama.
Region | Current Range |
---|---|
United States | Resident year-round except Northeastern states Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine. Breeding range extends north to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York. Absent from parts of the Pacific Northwest. |
Canada | Now restricted to southern Ontario and extreme southwestern British Columbia. |
Mexico | Occurs year-round except for northern tier of states where winter visitor. Permanent along coasts and southeast. |
Caribbean | Resident populations in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Virgin Islands, and coastal Central America. |
Causes of Range Contraction
The mourning dove’s range contraction over the last two centuries can be attributed to several factors:
Habitat Loss
Widespread habitat destruction and fragmentation in northern areas has reduced suitable nesting and foraging sites for mourning doves. Deforestation and the plowing of grasslands for agriculture removed key habitats.
Climate Limitations
Colder climates and harsher winters in the far north including Canada may restrict mourning doves beyond their temperature tolerances. Snow cover also limits food availability during winter.
Lack of Migration
Unlike many bird species, mourning doves do not make substantial seasonal migrations. Their inability to migrate northward to breed in summer means they are restricted to southern ranges year-round.
Hunting Pressure
Extensive sport hunting of mourning doves in the late 1800s and early 1900s depleted populations in parts of their northern range. Although now regulated, hunting may still limit populations.
Nesting Requirements
Mourning doves require appropriate nesting sites in trees, shrubs, or on the ground. Lack of nesting habitat has excluded them from some regions.
Future Range Changes
Looking ahead, mourning dove populations may face further range reductions due to:
- Continued habitat degradation
- Climate change limiting northern breeding
- Increased droughts reducing habitat suitability in the Southwest
- Nest flooding from sea level rise in coastal areas
However, mourning doves may also expand in range by:
- Adapting to human-altered environments
- Taking advantage of bird feeders in winter
- Benefiting from warmer temperatures farther north
Only time will tell how mourning dove populations will respond to environmental changes and adapt to persist within their native North American range. Careful monitoring and conservation efforts will be needed to ensure the survival of this common species through the coming decades. The mourning dove’s familiar coo may depend on maintaining suitable habitat wherever it currently resides across the continent.
Conclusion
In summary, the mourning dove is indigenous to most of North America including the lower 48 United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and areas of southern Canada. Although still widespread, habitat loss and climate factors have caused the mourning dove’s range to contract from historic northern limits over the last 200 years. Mourning doves now breed primarily across the southern half of the lower 48 states, avoiding only the Northeast. Northern populations in Canada are much reduced, while the species remains resident across most of its historic range in Mexico and the Caribbean. Ongoing conservation efforts for the mourning dove will focus on protecting key habitats for nesting, roosting, and foraging to support future populations across North America. Maintaining habitat connectivity will also enable mourning doves to disperse and potentially expand their current range. The persistence of the familiar mourning dove within its native range in coming decades will depend on how well humans steward the landscapes this species has inhabited since prehistoric times.