Mourning doves are a common bird species found throughout North America. They are known for their soft, mournful cooing calls which give them their name. Mourning doves have relatively short lifespans compared to other birds, living only 1-3 years on average in the wild.
Typical lifespan of mourning doves
The typical lifespan of a mourning dove is 1-2 years. However, they have been known to live up to 5 years in captivity if given proper care. In the wild, only about 25% of mourning doves survive more than one year.
Some key facts about mourning dove lifespan:
- In the wild, the average lifespan is just 1-2 years
- The oldest recorded age for a mourning dove is 13 years in captivity
- Mortality is highest in the first year of life, with 70-80% of fledglings dying in the first year
- Adult mourning doves have higher annual survival rates of 50-60%
So while mourning doves can live up to 5 years or more in captivity, the pressures of the wild mean most mourning doves only live 12-24 months.
Factors impacting short lifespan
There are several key factors that contribute to mourning doves having abbreviated lifespans compared to other birds:
Predation
Mourning doves face heavy predation pressure from a wide range of predators seeking an easy meal. Common predators of adult mourning doves include:
- Hawks
- Falcons
- Owls
- Crows
- Raccoons
- Squirrels
- Skunks
- Snakes
- Domestic cats
Nestlings and fledgling mourning doves face even higher predation rates from predators able to access nests on the ground or in low bushes. Over 70% of juveniles fall prey in their first year.
Disease
Mourning doves are susceptible to a range of infectious diseases that can shorten their lifespan including:
- Trichomoniasis – a parasitic infection that impairs eating and digestion
- Avian pox – viral infection causing wart-like lesions on head, legs and beak
- Aspergillosis – respiratory infection caused by fungus
- Salmonella – bacterial infection that causes diarrhea
These diseases are common in mourning doves and can rapidly lead to starvation, dehydration, or suffocation. Lack of vigilant grooming behaviors also means infections spread quickly in mourning dove flocks.
Hunting
Mourning doves are a popular game bird hunted for sport and food in many regions. Annual hunting seasons account for the deaths of an estimated 20-40 million mourning doves in the United States and Canada. Legal hunting imposes significant mortality risks on mourning dove populations.
Harsh environments
Mourning doves frequent open habitats like grasslands, fields, and urban areas. These environments expose them to harsh elements and fluctuations in weather. Cold winter weather and storms claim many mourning doves each year due to:
- Lack of shelter
- Freezing temperatures
- Limited winter food sources
- Flying into objects during storms
In northern parts of their range, annual mourning dove survival rates are estimated to be just 30%. Colder climates impose environmental challenges that reduce lifespan.
Behavioral and biological factors
In addition to external factors, the behaviors and biology of mourning doves make them prone to shorter lifespans:
Ground nesting
Mourning doves build flimsy nests on the ground or in low bushes. This exposes eggs and nestlings to predators such as skunks, raccoons, and snakes that can access ground nests easily.
Limited defenses
Mourning doves lack aggressive defenses to protect themselves, their nests, or their young. They do not posses sharp talons or bills for fighting like raptors, nor do they exhibit mobbing behaviors when threatened.
High predation of young
Up to 80% of mourning dove fledglings die in their first year. Their awkward fluttering flight patterns make them easy targets for predators when they leave the nest.
Frequent exposure
Mourning doves frequent open exposed areas, fields, wires and rooftops. This gives predators ample opportunities to prey on doves.
Year-round hunting
Mourning doves don’t migrate far and remain in hunting zones year-round. This constant exposure to legal hunters claims many adult doves during long hunting seasons.
High predation during migration
The dove’s long pointed wings make them efficient migrants, but their flocking behavior attracts predators during migration. Falcons and other predators pick off migrating flocks in large numbers.
Why short lifespans may have evolved
Given the high mortality rates mourning doves face, it may seem surprising they have not evolved adaptations to increase survival and lifespan. However, there are hypotheses for why short lifespans prevail in mourning doves:
Energy tradeoffs
Investing energy in long-term survival may trade off with energy needed for reproduction. Mourning doves have a high reproductive output, producing up to 6 broods per year. This high reproductive effort may limit energy available for long-term survival.
Predator saturation
Mourning doves are prey for so many predators that no matter what adaptations they evolve, predators will limit their lifespans. Investing in additional defenses may yield minimal survival gains due to abundant predators.
Environmental constraints
Harsh environments with fluctuating resources impose intrinsic survival limits. In resource-poor environments, adapting behaviors to maximize reproduction within short time spans may be favored over long lifespan.
Rapid maturation
Mourning doves reach sexual maturity quickly, within months after hatching. Rapid maturation is associated with short lifespans in many animals. More energy is invested in early reproduction rather than long-term survival.
Low mortality costs
Despite high annual mortality, mourning dove populations remain abundant. Short lifespans may not impose severe costs on mourning dove populations if predation is compensatory and mortality is density-dependent.
Survival adaptations mourning doves could evolve
While they haven’t yet, here are some adaptations mourning doves could evolve to increase survival and lifespan:
- Stronger anti-predator defenses like mobbing
- Use of more concealed nesting sites in trees or cavities
- Longer parental care to improve juvenile survival
- Improved immune response to common diseases
- Lower reproductive rates to conserve energy
- Larger size to deter some predators
- Use of safer wintering grounds and migration routes
However, the beneficial effects of such adaptations remain theoretical. Short lifespans persist despite the species’ abundance and wide distribution.
Research on mourning dove lifespan
Many studies have quantified typical mourning dove lifespan and survival rates:
- A North Carolina study found average lifespan was 1 year, with annual survival rates of 0.417 for juveniles, 0.546 for yearlings, and 0.613 for adults.
- A Missouri study reported average lifespan of 1.25 years, with only 25% surviving to the next breeding season.
- A study of banded doves in Colorado calculated an average lifespan of 1.8 years.
- Analysis of banding data by region found average lifespan ranged from 1.5 years in the north to 2.5 years in the south.
Research consistently demonstrates the short average, and maximum, lifespan of mourning doves across their range.
Management implications of short lifespan
The short lifespan of mourning doves has implications for management of dove hunting seasons. Because of high annual mortality, dove populations can fluctuate dramatically. This requires careful monitoring and adaptive hunting regulations to prevent over-harvest:
- Most mortality occurs before doves migrate south in fall, so pre-migration population estimates are critical.
- Daily bag limits must align with population numbers each year.
- Hunting season lengths and start dates may need adjustment annually.
- If early cold snaps occur, emergency season closures may be needed to protect migrating birds.
Managers must regularly update dove hunting frameworks to account for their naturally short lifespans and high mortality rates.
Conclusions
In summary, mourning doves have abbreviated lifespans due to a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic factors:
- Heavy predation on adults and juveniles
- Disease epidemics
- Hunting pressure
- Harsh and fluctuating environments
- Ground nesting behaviors
- Limited defenses against predators
- High annual mortality of young
- Frequent exposure in open habitats
The short lifespan appears to be an evolved life history strategy, as mourning dove populations remain abundant despite high mortality rates. However, the species’ high annual turnover requires careful management of hunting pressure and habitat conditions to maintain stability.