Mourning doves are a common bird species found throughout North America. With their soft coos and graceful flight, these petite doves are pleasant visitors to backyards and bird feeders. As with any wild animal, there are right and wrong ways to interact with mourning doves in order to keep them healthy while enjoying their presence.
Quick Answers
Here are some quick answers to common questions about feeding mourning doves bread:
- While mourning doves will readily eat bread, it should not make up the bulk of their diet.
- Bread lacks the protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals that mourning doves need to stay healthy.
- Feeding mourning doves a diet high in bread can lead to malnutrition, deformities, and early death.
- It’s best to offer mourning doves their natural foods like seeds and grains rather than bread.
- Small amounts of bread as an occasional treat are ok, but should not exceed 10% of their total food intake.
- Sprouted grains and seeds are healthier alternatives to offer mourning doves than bread.
Why Mourning Doves Should Not Eat Too Much Bread
Bread is not a natural part of a mourning dove’s diet. In the wild, these birds feed primarily on seeds and grains. Some of their preferred foods include:
- Millet
- Safflower seeds
- Black oil sunflower seeds
- Cracked corn
- Wheat
- Nyjer seed
These foods provide mourning doves with important nutrients like:
- Protein for muscle maintenance and growth
- Healthy fats for energy and cell health
- Vitamins and minerals for immune function, bone strength, and metabolic processes
- Fiber for digestion
Bread, on the other hand, lacks many of these crucial nutrients. Bread is made from refined grains, which means it is missing the vitamin- and mineral-rich germ and bran found in whole grains. Bread is also low in protein and healthy fats compared to seeds and grains.
Feeding too much bread can therefore lead to malnutrition, as mourning doves fill up on empty calories rather than getting the building blocks they need. This can cause issues like:
- Muscle deterioration due to lack of protein
- Bone deformities from vitamin and mineral deficiencies
- Fatty liver disease
- Feather deformities
- Weakened immune system
- Reproductive issues
Providing proper nutrition is important for mourning doves year round, but especially during demanding times like migration, breeding season, and chick rearing when nutritional needs are exceptionally high.
Health Risks of Feeding Ducks and Geese
In addition to malnutrition, regularly feeding bread to mourning doves can lead to other health issues:
- Angel wing – An abnormal wing growth caused by deficiency of vitamin D3 and calcium, which occurs when birds fill up on nutrient-poor foods like bread
- Crop impaction – When soggy bread accumulates and hardens in the crop, obstructing digestion
- Choking hazards – Large chunks of bread can get lodged in the throat
- Bloat – Excessive gas and fluid buildup from poor digestion of bread
- Delayed growth – Chicks fed too much bread grow more slowly and may fail to thrive
Bread that is moldy or spoiled can also cause illnesses in mourning doves due to contamination with mycotoxins, bacteria, and fungi.
Healthy Alternatives to Bread for Mourning Doves
Instead of reaching for a loaf of bread to feed mourning doves, provide them with nutritious options that mimic their natural diet:
- Seeds – black oil sunflower, nyjer, safflower, millet, cracked corn
- Sprouted grains – sprouted wheat, oats, barley, quinoa
- Fruit – grapes, berries, melon
- Greens – kale, spinach, salad mixes
- Grains – whole wheat, brown rice, oats
- Legumes – split peas, lentils
- Dove feed – commercially available seed mixes formulated for doves
For added nutrition, look for seed mixes that contain nuts, dried fruits, and pellets. Offering a variety will ensure mourning doves get all the nutrients they need.
How Much Bread Can Mourning Doves Eat Safely?
While a diet of solely bread should be avoided, mourning doves can eat small amounts of bread safely. Here are some guidelines for moderate bread consumption:
- Bread should make up no more than 10% of their daily food intake
- Only offer 1-2 small torn up pieces per dove per day
- Look for 100% whole grain breads, not refined white bread
- Avoid moldy bread entirely
- Focus feedings on their natural foods
- Closely monitor doves for signs of malnutrition if feeding bread
The key is moderation. As an occasional snack, a small amount of bread generally will not cause harm. But it should never become a staple food item.
Best Practices When Feeding Mourning Doves
Follow these tips for safely feeding mourning doves:
- Offer a variety of seeds, grains, fruits, greens, and dove feed
- Use specific mourning dove feeders or tray feeders
- Clean feeders regularly to prevent disease transmission
- Avoid overcrowding at feeders
- Do not put out more food than mourning doves can consume in a day
- Locate feeders in safe locations away from predators
- Provide grit to aid digestion
- Supply a water source like a bird bath or fountain
- Monitor birds for signs of illness
Following these best practices will help provide nourishment and an enjoyable experience for backyard mourning doves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it OK to feed mourning doves bread once in a while?
Yes, feeding mourning doves small pieces of bread on occasion is generally fine as part of a varied diet. Just be sure not to offer more than 1-2 pieces per bird per day.
What kind of bread is safe for mourning doves?
Look for 100% whole grain breads rather than refined white bread. Whole wheat, multigrain, and seeded breads provide more nutrients. Avoid moldy bread.
Can too much bread kill mourning doves?
Yes, a diet consisting solely or primarily of bread can ultimately kill mourning doves. The malnutrition caused by a lack of proper nutrition can lead to starvation, organ damage, deformities, and susceptibility to disease.
Are there any health benefits to feeding bread to mourning doves?
No, bread provides very little nutritional value for mourning doves. Seeds, grains, fruits, and greens are healthier choices.
What are signs of malnutrition in mourning doves?
Signs of malnutrition from excess bread feeding include: lethargy, weight loss, skeletal deformities like angel wing, poor feather quality, weak immunity, neurological issues, and slow growth in young birds.
Can bread make baby mourning doves sick?
Yes, parent birds feeding too much bread to chicks can inhibit proper development. Chicks need protein and micronutrients to grow. An excess of empty calories from bread can lead to malnutrition.
Conclusion
While mourning doves will readily eat bread, it does not provide good nutritional value. Bread should only be fed in very limited quantities as an occasional treat. Offering mourning doves a varied diet primarily of seeds, sprouted grains, and their other natural foods is healthiest. Following proper feeding techniques will let you enjoy observing mourning doves without harming them.