25 Breathtaking Mourning Dove Pictures

Courtesy Leah Ellenberger

A Sweet Summertime Dove

“I took a picture of this beautiful dove in the summer with my camera. Mourning dove pictures are special to me because most doves mate for life, and I find that so amazing and sweet,” says Leah Ellenberger. Love these photos of mourning doves? You’ll love learning fascinating mourning dove facts.

Mourning Doves in Love

“Dove love! I took this picture in a palm tree in my front yard. I have never seen doves nest in a palm tree,” says Bill Kroll. Discover how quickly mourning doves build nests.

Mourning Dove in the Deep Freeze

“We had a rare winter storm in Texas. During the five-day freeze, we had hundreds of birds come to our feeders. I took these mourning dove pictures on our back deck!” says Joni Bedard. See 20 birds to look for in the snowy season.

Waiting for Breakfast

“This winter picture captures a mourning dove waiting for sunflower seeds to hit the ground as they’re knocked to the ground from the feeders. The doves are unable to land (on the feeders), so they patiently wait until the ground becomes littered with breakfast,” says Gary Casto. Learn about the mourning dove lifespan—how long do they live?

Beauty in the Familiar

“While visiting Huntington Beach State Park one year, I was looking for bird species that I don’t normally see. Mourning doves visit my feeders in Ohio, but I took this shot of them even though I see them frequently. I liked the way they were posing. They moved their heads in unison a few times, then looked at me inquisitively,” says Cyndi Shepherd.

Mourning Dove Details

“My wife had just installed a large branch in our garden at the beginning of summer as a natural perch for birds to sit on while at our feeders. We get a variety of birds, but the most frequent visitors are a pair of mourning doves. They are really lovely close up. Their fine details and soft colors are only noticeable when photographed close up. Some elements of their coloring resemble fine makeup,” says Robert Trout. You can’t hear it in mourning dove pictures, but mourning dove wings make noise! Learn what’s up with that high-pitched sound.

Tucked in a Tree

“This photo was taken in our backyard in my persimmon tree. I had been watching a pair of mourning doves that spent a lot of time in the tree. Our tree isn’t very tall, so it was easy to peek into the branches to see a nest with two little eggs in it. I documented with photos daily and was able to watch them grow. I love watching our backyard birds,” says Anna Johnson. Psst—here’s everything you need to know about baby mourning doves.

Let It Snow

“We had an early November snowstorm in Michigan. The birds are very active when it snows, so I always have my camera nearby. When I looked out my back window, I saw this beautiful mourning dove sitting on the deck rail, ” says Natalie Mccloy.

Psst! Learn if seeing a mourning dove has a meaning or significance.

Too Cute Mourning Doves

“These mourning doves have been frequent visitors to our backyard and eventually made a nest on our neighbors front porch light. We watched then bring up two babies. I really like this photo because it shows their tenderness toward each other,” Beth Huizenga.

A Special Dove

“I like this picture because it was taken at a place special to me; the Adirondacks in New York. It is a mourning dove, which is a very peaceful bird. Even though I zoomed in to get the photo, it came out very clear. It was just sitting in the tree, and, I think, trying to catch a nap in the sunshine,” says Sarah Walsemann.

Mourning Dove Nest

Arthur Scherwin shared this photo of a mourning dove with two baby mourning doves, or nestlings. Each mourning dove brood consists of two eggs, and one pair may hatch up to six broods in a year.

Busy Bird Feeder

“We had just refilled the feeder when the mourning doves showed up,” says Barbara Rutledge. “They all wanted to eat at the same time and were determined to all find a spot. I grabbed my camera and started snapping photos of the mourning doves. This is my second year in this house and I am loving every minute of it.” Learn how to identify a white-winged dove.

Ready to Fly

“These two baby mourning doves are only 3 weeks old. They were born in a nest under my deck,” says Jean Field. “Mama and Daddy dove set them to flight a week before. Exactly one week later they returned and spent the afternoon perched on the rail.” Learn the five stages of a baby bird’s life.

Favorite Backyard Birds

“I chose this particular picture of the mourning doves as I liked how closely they sat together and the light was hitting them just right. They come often to my backyard bird bath and took a break and sat together for the longest time,” says Julie Wiederhoeft. I had just sat down on the backyard swing and they swooped in. They are two of many bird friends that visit often.” Check out more common backyard birds you should know.

Baby Mourning Dove

“My wife and I hung a potted strawberry plant in the corner of our covered patio and were patiently waiting for the strawberries to ripen so we could enjoy the fruits of our labor. But before we could pick our first strawberry, a pair of mourning doves moved in and made a nest,” says Martin Gilchrist. “We debated on whether we should discourage the doves’ nest building. But we decided to plant other strawberries in the backyard and to witness the doves hatch and raise young.”

Mourning Dove Mama

“I found this pretty mama mourning dove in my neighbor’s tree. She was very patient and let me photograph her a couple of different times,” says Sherry Cole. “Unfortunately, she didn’t stay around and there weren’t any baby mourning doves. We have a lot of doves and I really enjoy them at my feeders.” Check out different kinds of bird nests and how to spot them.

Courting Doves

“Meet Mr. and Mrs. mourning dove. I captured this image during the spring time breeding season. They were busy getting to know each other,” says Lisa Mason.

Courtesy Patricia Welch

The Golden Hour

“It was late afternoon on a late summer day, when I looked out my living room window to see a mourning dove perched on the tree just outside the window,” says Patricia Welch. “The light filtering down on the bird was just gorgeous so I grabbed my camera and quietly headed out my back door and took the shot. I find mourning doves to be such beautiful, peaceful creatures and this heavenly light just accentuated that for me.”

Perfect Pose

“I took this summer shot of a mourning dove in Newark, Illinois. This dove seemed willing to be photographed and gave me its best profile. I like the soft earthy tones of the bird’s feathers, spotted in places by sunlight peeking through the tree branches and leaves.” Learn to identify Eurasian collared doves.

Incredible Dove Images

“I took this photo of a mourning dove as the sun was setting in our backyard. When I saw this bird below my feeders, I snapped some mourning dove pictures, thinking they wouldn’t turn out,” says Liana Jonas. “I was happily surprised at its facial expression.”

Picture of Three Doves

“I took this picture of a mourning dove nest in our front tree. Our dog was overly interested in the tree and it made me look closer,” says Mary Versaw. Check out super cute photos of baby birds you need to see.

Perching Mourning Dove Pictures

“This mourning dove perched on my back fence in Sanger, Texas,” says Sandy Scott. “I am new to photography and my husband told me what type of bird this was.”

Peace and Harmony

“I took this photo in in early spring on a country road in the middle of Kansas. The beautiful pair of mourning doves, also called turtle doves, caught my attention,” says Teresa Taylor. “Being a symbol of peace, these two gracefully formed a heart shape as they perched in perfect harmony together.” If you see a cardinal, here’s what it means.

All Puffed Up

“On a cold late afternoon in January, this mourning dove puffed up as large as possible to retain all the heat it could,” says Bob Anderson. After you finish looking at mourning dove pictures, learn proven tips to attract winter birds.

Waiting for Spring

“In the waning days of a very long winter, I stood on my porch one morning wishing that spring would appear,” says Gary Garton. “Just then, this mourning dove landed on a nearby maple tree. And for that moment, it brought me the promise of spring.” Done looking at photos of mourning doves? Check out more spectacular winter bird photos.