Why Mourning Doves Are Avoiding Your Garden (& How To Attract These Beautiful Birds)

Mourning doves have a unique mix of brown and gray colors with black spots on their wings and pointed feathers on their tails. They are highly adaptable and can be found in urban, suburban, and rural communities in most areas of the country. There are reasons mourning doves may avoid your garden and ways you can attract these beautiful birds. If you do not have an abundant food source or the right habitat, the birds may fly right past your garden to land elsewhere. 

People want to attract these gentle birds for a number of reasons. Mourning doves have special meaning in many cultural and religious traditions. They are a symbol of peace, forgiveness, and love in many traditions. The bird is associated as a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. Some believe seeing a mourning dove is a message from God, angels, or a deceased loved one.

Spirituality aside, mourning doves are a welcome sight for their gentle sound. Their soft coo has a calming effect that can help create a peaceful environment in your yard. Because the birds eat seeds from the ground, farmers and gardeners welcome them for weed control. Fortunately, it is easy to attract mourning doves to your yard by providing the right food and water sources. 

Like most birds, mourning doves are looking for reliable sources of food and water, as well as shelter. One reason mourning doves may not be visiting your yard is a lack of food. They eat seeds from the ground and the grit they pick up aids in digestion. The birds also need a water source, so if your yard has no available water, they may not visit your garden.

The type of habitat in your yard or garden could discourage the birds from visiting. Mourning doves prefer open grassy areas with a few trees and tend to avoid heavily wooded areas. Because they eat from the ground and do not scratch the earth for food, they will not stay in yards with heavy brush or thick groundcover.

Mourning doves are looking for a quiet, safe environment to feed and nest. Because they are ground feeders, the doves are vulnerable to predators. Their main predators include owls, hawks, racoons, and cats. If you have birds of prey or feral cats nearby, the doves will not stick around. You can make a few easy changes to create a more welcoming environment for doves. 

Providing sufficient food, water, and shelter will bring these winged beauties to your property. Since the birds would rather eat from the ground than a bird feeder, you can just sprinkle small seeds on the ground to ensure they have a reliable food source. Adding a bird bath provides essential water for drinking and bathing.

Mourning doves create simple nests using twigs, pine needles, and grasses. Having a place for them to nest will persuade them to stay. They tend to build nests in trees and shrubs, but can also be found nesting in gutters, window ledges, and old pots. You can encourage mourning doves to nest in your yard with an easy DIY nesting basket using metal hardware cloth and zip ties or galvanized steel wire.

The plants you include in your garden can help attract doves. A biodiverse garden with a mixture of bushes, shrubs, and colorful flowers can help call these birds to your yard. Plants that are likely to bring mourning doves to your yard include ash trees, eastern white pines, black willows, goldenrod, serviceberry plants, cosmos, and sunflowers.