Mourning Doves: Eating and Trying Not to Get Eaten (super slomo!) NARRATED

[@v-guitar-co]

Seems like you're being a little hard on the mourning doves. I have observed that when the hawk shows up the doves have a clever strategy. They stay in place on the ground as you describe, but if the hawk attacks they wait until the hawk is committed to its strike and then they takeoff at the last second, leaving the hawk on the ground wondering what happened as the dove flies away. Maybe you don't give them enough credit, just saying. Also I think they're very pretty and we like them a lot.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You've watched them fool hawks more than I have, obviously, and I like your take on their strategy--enough to wish I'd been able to talk to you before I wrote my script. In fact, I'm pinning your comment so it will stay at the top of the list for those who bother to look. As for how pretty they are, we'll have to agree to disagree. I'm filming swallows these days. Their sleek bodies and brilliant colors are more to my taste.

[@ocdbird]

They're probably my favorite birds. So comforting, gentle and sweet. So cute.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes, they’re all that plus elegant in flight.

[@Suddenlyits1960]

My friend and I help a mourning dove that we found in her yard that had a sprained wing. We put the dove in a box and bought dove seed at the local pet store. In a few days our dove was as good as new. When we opened the box she flew away fast and we watched her as she disappeared over the trees. They are beautiful birds and have a distinctive sound. Everytime I hear that sound I think that day and smile.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

That's a memory worth having and worth recalling whenever you hear one whistling as it flaps its wings.

[@lajesq176]

I love listening to your commentary. You are wonderful. And poetic. ❤

[@blaze0rama]

One of my favorite things about the mourning dove is its rising sound. Once again, your video is sheer poetry regarding this cherubic bird.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Oh, yes. I like to hear them whoosh and whistle away. Thanks for the "sheer poetry" assessment.

[@blaze0rama]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME You have such a way with words. I look forward to each of your videos!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@blaze0rama well, I am a retired English teacher, so that probably accounts for some of my way with words. Anyway, thank you.

[@blaze0rama]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Excellent! And I was an English major! Thus, deeply appreciative.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@blaze0rama as a Brit would say, righteo. I’m guessing my narratives appeal most to people like you who themselves have a flair for language.

[@denisaglagul6876]

Yes! Mourning Doves are my favorite! What a wonderful video; I have never seen some one characterize these birds so perfectly.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Now if that isn't a sweet compliment! Thank you, Denis, and I'm glad I could oblige.

[@RYANandMICHELLEchannel]

Awesome video! Enjoyed your witty narration and great footage

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks for that generous compliment, Ryan. And I do aim to be witty, don't consider any script ready for prime time unless it's got some fun metaphors.

[@SweetKonekoCat]

Their beautiful call reminds me of spring afternoons when I was a child. My mama would open the kitchen windows to let in cool air. I could hear them while relaxing after school often and Ive taken comfort in their calls ever since.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

What a sweet memory! Thanks for passing it along.

[@wildlifenatureconservation9379]

I love mourning doves. They just started cooing again about three weeks ago and I have about 8 to 11 regular visitors in my backyard, sometimes there are 80 to 100 individuals. Initially only 3 visited with one being the “original” dove. As cute and fast and agile as they are, they are also the preferred prey species for and specifically Cooper’s Hawk. I’ve seen birds of all species ( white throated sparrows, juncos, woodpeckers, blue jays tufted titmice, robins, cardinals, etc..freeze into place whenever a Cooper’s Hawk is around and literally celebrating in jubilee when the Hawk lives the area.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

80-100?! We've had as many as 20-25, but we're in the suburbs. Are you in a rural area?

[@wildlifenatureconservation9379]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME NY. 30 minutes commute to Times Square. (It is a secret enclave within the city limits) Our backyard is green and open ( which gives time to the doves to see hawks and escape….in most.. cases.. I used to ask myself…why aren’t mourning doves around here, because I’ve seen all type of birds in here including migratory birds such as Phoebes, Baltimore Orioles, Black & White Warblers and the common visitors such as house sparrows, starlings and native species such as Northern Cardinals, red bellied woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, BLUE JAYS, tufted titmice (they skip years-seasons) black-capped chickadees…(they didn’t show up this year, though a small group in living at a protected forest a few blocks from here at the moment. Dark eyed juncos visit in winter, there’s also a semi resident American Robin and a group of White Throated sparrows that increased in numbers this year, Nuthatches that are friends with the tufted titmice, I’ve have also seen northern flickers and common grackles and many different species of warblers, some of these warblers stay year long in the middle of MANHATTAN.. if you ever visit NY.. go to Bryant Park and the Park in front of Macy’s and they live right there in a tiny patch with a few trees and myrtle plants..There’s is a White throated sparrow that sings every morning in the middle of the traffic..is it the most beautiful thing..and I’ve have also seen Catbirds in here and the real original visitor was a Northern Mockingbird than can be seen in my channel, there was also a white crowned sparrow visiting about two years ago, there are more species in my area, but these are the ones that called our backyard home..So yes…from not having any mourning doves, now “I have many” I sometimes worry about them so much because of an adult female Cooper’s Hawk that also lives in the area..There are also Ravens in here, nesting under a bridge close to a pair of Peregrine falcons..That is my mourning dove story. I love all birds from the Columbidae family but mourning doves are becoming my favorite species of dove. I might post a short about them one of these days….and if it was for me…I would definitely ban the unnecessary hunting of mourning doves done by human beings. About the Cooper’s , kestrels and sharpies…well I can’t do anything about it. It is the way this realm has been designed. I do not like recreational hunting. Thank you always for your amazing videos.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@wildlifenatureconservation9379 What's so interesting--and puzzling--is that you aren't rural at all and that you get pretty much all the same birds we do (though we get more titmice and chickadees). We also have a large open yard, but we do have mature trees around the edge that the hawks perch in. That seems to be the crucial factor.

[@wildlifenatureconservation9379]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Isn’t so incredible that so many species live in this city? Another example is that this year I saw a red breasted nuthatch for the first time ever in the metro area. They usually don’t venture this far, preferring to stay in places like Long Island NY, but never in the city. We have more Titmice and sparrows since last year and the occasional barred owl in places like Riverside Park by the Hudson River. Coastal species can also be observed close to the city. One of the few birds that can not be found in this area are the eastern bluebirds.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@wildlifenatureconservation9379 I filmed one of those coastal species, the Long-tailed Duck, when we were in New Jersey for a week a few years back. Lovely. Alas, we don't get the Eastern Bluebirds or the Baltimore Orioles in our yard either. I drove a half hour each way last year a bunch of times to film the bluebirds and will do the same this spring for Baltimore Oriole footage. Like you, we got a Red-breasted Nuthatch this year. It wasn't the first time, but it's been ten years since they last visited regularly.

[@kittenkorleone2918]

My Mourning doves can't always be seen by me when I'm rounding the huge thicket of holly bushes to get to the feeders for filling and they tend to startle me with their "takeoff flourish" as I call it every single time! I know they're gonna fly up and scare me but for whatever reason, I never seem prepared! Kinda like a Jack in the Box. You know it's gonna go off but it still scares you when it does!!! When they're not filling up, they tend to sit in loose groups in my red maple. And later on in the year they pair up and I never see one alone. That's so romantic! I love all my backyard pets and see beauty in every variety. I never stopped to think how the hawks might prefer them because of their plumpness and lack of urgency to take off with the others. Thanks you for teaching me something I never knew about birds. You're a real gem, Jo!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I recall a scene from a 40 year old movie called Ordinary People in which Mary Tyler Moore’s character described how much she hated being startled by the birds when she walked out of the house. Like you, I’ve experienced it too, but not nearly as often. The arrangement in our yard doesn’t lend itself to, me and the doves surprising each other.

[@kittenkorleone2918]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I remember that movie but forgot that scene until your mentioned it. That movie was so depressing! MTM was always so likeable as Mary Richards. She really got to show off her acting chops in that vehicle! I've always liked Mr Sutherland in anything he did. He really surprised me playing Mr Bennett in Pride and Predjudice! What ever happened to Timothy Hutton and Elizabeth McGovern??

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@kittenkorleone2918 I don't recall what else Timothy Hutton was in--though I know I've seen him in other movies. Elizabeth McGovern plaayed Evelyn Nesbit in Ragtime and Cora, the mother of three grown daughters in Downton Abbey.

[@kittenkorleone2918]

Funny that you mentioned Ragtime! I thought I was the only person who heard of it. I live in Fairfield County CT, which is used for a surprisingly huge number of filming locations. At the time I was able to get on the set of that movie when a portion of it was being filmed years ago because my boyfriend happened to be related to someone in film industry and from time to time, if filming on location near us, we'd be able to get on set. We were able to meet Cagney (he was a huge fan) and get his autograph for his book. Funny how nobody seems to have those autograph books anymore! During those years I met many A and B list stars but had no idea who they were but now kick myself for not having a keener interest because since then I've become a HUGE classic movie hound. I've never seen that film about the infamous Ms Nesbit. I was always intrigued by the murder case surrounding her love triangle and always heard of her beauty. I'll check it out!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@kittenkorleone2918 I am confused. I thought you said you got on the set of Ragtime when they were filming it, but then you said you hadn’t seen it. So you didn’t watch it even though you had been on the set? I remember the film so well because I had my advanced students read E.L. Doctorow’s book and then I showed them the movie (but I had to step in front of the TV set when they showed Elizabeth McGovern‘s breasts.😉)

[@benslusher1698]

It's so nice to see another new video from you. This was a nice surpise!

[@WrenStanchen]

I love these videos so much. Thank you, Jo! Fun fact: mourning doves are one of the few birds I can mimic well enough to get them to "talk" back. So they've always felt like little friends to me.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

It's a pleasure for me to hear from such a fan, Rynn. Thanks. I never thought about trying to mimic them. (But I have had conversation with Barred Owls.)

[@littleking2258]

There call is always so wonderful to listen too! Such wonderful little birds!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes, their call is soothing. I would call them wonderful, pudgy little birds.

[@SimplyGobsmacked]

Great video, one of my favorites! I love doves and pigeons, never knew there were so many beautiful species. A pair of collared doves visit my garden wall every summer, strutting back and forth and peeking into my kitchen window. I also love good analogies and metaphors, yours are great and always make me giggle. Thanks for another informative video.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks, Kimtisha. I know how much I appreciate a little sense of humor when I listen to educational material, so I include it--especially those metaphors that tickle you--in every video.

[@ZsaZsaUmbra]

Loved it as did my cat lol. Pigeons/doves are my favorite type of bird. They are so cute.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Your cat and mine too, ZsaZsa. Molly sits on my lap and watches the screen as I edit the film.

[@addy1235]

I adore this video, makes me appreciate mourning doves a lot more. Highly informative!

[@annie2684]

I wanted to learn more about the Morning Dove after pinning it down for that song I've heard most evenings for the past 20 years. I'm surprised to have found a video covering this bird specifically, even more surprised that it's a recent upload. I enjoyed the bird facts, witty renarks, narration, and footage for the video. It was somehow satisfying and relaxing to watch.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I enjoyed reading your comment, Annie. Thank you. And I would say that my movies are mainly meant for people like you who don’t know a ton about birds already, and just want basic information delivered in an entertaining format.

[@graciemay5046]

These birds are so special to me, maybe even my favorite; they just have such a delightful softness to them, and their call is so nostalgic. I moved around a lot when I was growing up, but no matter where I went, I would hear that beautiful song of theirs. They're always my favorites to see in the yard, I love the way they move and walk... Such gentle little things. Thank you for this, I've rewatched this more times than I can count by now. You have such a fun and engaging style of narrating too, you're by far my favorite channel for content like this! I hope you are well and happy these days!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

What a sweet comment, Gracie May--both for the memories you have of Mourning Doves and for saying that you've watched this movie more times than you can count. It pleases me so much to know that you enjoyed it enough to do that. I liked making this movie and watching the doves take off in super slomo time after time. I never got tired of that. And of course I like to know that you appreciate my channel so much. Thanks for telling me.

[@ShirleyGanske]

Another great video, Thankyou.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You're welcome, Shirley. Glad you're enjoying them.

[@jeffolson4731]

Great video and information. I really enjoy your commentary. You sprinkle in humor that helps us remember the lessons.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks, Jeff. If I write a script that doesn’t have much humor in it, I know it’s not ready for prime time yet.

[@FioreCiliegia]

Honestly the coloring of them just reminds me of a baby fawn or bunny. Quiet, understated, the ideal cuddles XD

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I get your point, Jennifer. Apparently, I'm just drawn to garish. And sleek. But I gained considerable appreciation for this "dork" as I made the movie.

[@Fibbletan]

So very good to see another video from you! My wife has recently gotten into birding with me, and we love your videos and your sense of humor.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks for taking the time to write and tell me how much you and your wife enjoy my videos. I am planning to publish on Friday afternoon every six weeks, so two weeks from tomorrow there will be another movie up. Enjoy!

[@brennyn]

A perfect description of these wobblebirds.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks. And "wobblebirds" is another perfect description.

[@silliaek]

I learned so much about a common bird I've seen every day for nearly my entire life.

[@kmarj8]

thank you for this video! Mourning doves are an all time favorite :) Excellent little documentary as always!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I'm glad to hear you liked it. I was stunned when I got a super slomo camera on them to find out how muscular these plump birds really are.

[@sleepybear2391]

I love hearing the mourning doves outside my window in the morning, it makes me so nostalgic~ Wonderful video, your narration was both educational and hilarious

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Educational and hilarious is what I aim for. Good to know I hit the mark.

[@riverbender9898]

Always a distinct pleasure to enjoy another sampling of your talents. Thank You.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

And always a pleasure to hear from you, riverbender. How did you happen to choose that screen name?

[@riverbender9898]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Thank you. The pleasure is all mine. I live near the bend of a major river.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@riverbender9898 That makes sense. (And I'm glad to know you don't have any actual river bending abilities.)

[@riverbender9898]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Gone are the days...

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@riverbender9898 😏

[@JGood701]

The narration is top notch 😂😂

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks, Squiddy. I appreciate you taking the time to say so.

[@localcrew]

If you’re ever close to a mourning dove you’ll be amazed at how loud they are. Nice video. Just subscribed!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Oh yes! I know how loud they are when they take off. I'm happy to hear that this pleased you enough for you to subscribe. (I hope you will click the bell by the subscribe button so you'll know when I post new ones.)

[@graziergeek]

I did not know that the whistling song when they take off comes from their wings.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Neither did I, Jeff, until I started doing the research for this movie.

[@fortierdawn]

We used to have 12-15 doves underneath our feeder daily. They all disappeared overnight with the exception of one lone visitor occasionally. We do have hawks around, but they wouldn't all be gone overnight. Not sure what happened, but I enjoyed them so much. Loved the video. Thanks for sharing.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

The sudden disappearance of all those mourning doves has to be not only sad for you, but also puzzling. And when birds disappear, they never leave a note of explanation.

[@fortierdawn]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Ha. True.

[@CC-lm1tw]

I am so glad I found this channel! I could watch this all day! I have some mourning doves in a tree out front and they like to be out when the chickens eat their scratch. The chickens are not a fan of them 😂

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Don't know how I missed your comment six days ago, but I'm glad I found it now. Thank you. (And you actually could watch it all day, since I've got about 300 movies up. ... But some of the early ones I can't particularly recommend.) That's a funny story about the chickens and the doves. I had never thought about a situation like that. At least the chickens are big enough that other birds can't boss them around.

[@fieldday1418]

Very enjoyable video, thank you for sharing

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Glad you liked it.

[@echothefreak9396]

Your narration is really calming. You remind me of someone I knew, I don’t know who.. maybe an old teacher.. but thank you. As a mourning dove enthusiast, I loved listening to this. :)

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I love hearing that the video appeals to you as a Mourning Dove enthusiast. Thanks for taking the time to write me and tell me so. And just in case it would interest you, I've got a new movie coming up a week from Friday about Cardinals fighting at feeders.

[@echothefreak9396]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Absolutely! Thanks for telling me!

[@whizzkid11k]

Hi Jo - Just found your channel while trying to find more info about the birds that appear in the board game 'Wingspan', and I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the videos I've watched. Starting with the whistling ducks video, I've seen a few more now. You have really great narration, and it's great to see how much time and effort you've put into sharing all the footage you have. Thank you so much, and please keep it up ☺

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Well now, if that isn’t a compliment to give my day a lift! I do aim to make the narrations informative and fun, and I am glad to hear you appreciate that. May I suggest one that you might not have watched which has gotten not so many views, but which is, one of my favorites: why bees bumble around. Thanks for the encouragement, and I hope you’ll keep exploring my channel.

[@two_hands7455]

The morning doves like roosting in the top of farm silos if the door at the top is left open. They also eat any whole field corn kernels left over in the cattle's corn silage.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I’ll just bet they like silos and cattlefeed. Corn is their fave!

[@henry23808]

I love❤ your narration!! Your channel are some of the most informative and enjoyable documentary on youtube. Recommend viewing with tea and rusk.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks for such generous praise, Basil. I had to look up what rusk is, but tea and rusk sounds perfect for viewing my movies or for looking out the window at wildlife.

[@ElenaSofia98]

Lovely video! I’m a big fan of mourning doves, they look soft and gentle.

[@wintermoonomen]

So a crop duster may be another good name for the dove? I thought it was when all the other feather flurries take off leaving the dove behind he's thinking more for me to fill my crop with......or just too lazy care.

[@lumpo9681]

Quality content 👌 👏 ✨️

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

High praise indeed, and I thank you.

[@WhistlesToAnimals]

Very interesting movie indeed. I've known an individual female for almost 3 years now and she was an adult when I met her. It is interesting to get a different view on what I see. Other birds do fly off before mourning doves, but other birds are less than half as fast as mourning doves, so they have to take off ASAP because they can't win in an air to air chase. Also in my area, the doves can't just dart in the nearby bushes like the smaller birds do; they have to fly further out and away. I've seen a Cooper's hawk chase a house sparrow in flight, but every time I've ever seen a Cooper's try to grab a mourning dove, it was always an ambush surprise attack type, never a chase, and as far as pigeons, those birds move at 90MPH. I feed my mourning dove visitors from 25 feet above ground level so that they can take off faster without the burden of needing to gain altitude. I took some pictures of a Cooper's hawk in an adjacent tree right next to a tree where 10 mourning doves were perching. Very interesting topic for me because I'm pretty close to these birds.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I can see that you know more about those mourning doves than I do. More power to you!

[@WhistlesToAnimals]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME No, I wouldn't say that. Just some observations from a different perspective and from someone that sees them from a different environment. You mentioned a few new things to me. I've also tried to determine how fast Cooper's hawks are (that is info that is hard to find) but like you said, about their same speed...sort of what I thought.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@WhistlesToAnimals I subscribe online to Cornell Lab's Birds of the World and get much of my info from them. As I recall, the site said that both the doves and the Cooper's have a top speed of around 50mph.

[@scottaw666]

Does a dove land on the ground in a different way from other birds? I mean, is their any striking difference between doves and other birds, as far as landing is concerned only. I ask this to clarify why the dove is used to describe The Holy Spirit “descending like a dove” in Mark 1:10. Thanks!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I don't think the dove lands differently from other birds. The verse probably refers to the power and grace of the dove when it lands. One other thing to consider is that the dove is a peaceable bird (except with its own species sometimes) and is a symbol of peace. That might also be implied by the verse.

[@scottaw666]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME I appreciate the insight!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@scottaw666 Next time. you need scriptural exegesis, you know where to go. 😉

[@Turboy65]

Actually, in captivity Mourning doves can live 20 years or more.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I don't doubt it. But life in the wild is dangerous.

[@dingdongism]

Your damning with faint praise over the Mourning Dove's appearance is just wrong! This bird is gorgeous.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Well, you know what they say about the eye of the beholder…

[@spitfirebir2]

Something funny I just thought of: what if birds talked like Elizabethan (1600s) englanders? That would be the funniest thing ever to me lol.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I don't even think it would strike me as funny so much as appropriate. Elizabethan English would suit these elegant creatures.

[@Cosmogirl014]

💕

[@TheJanda777]

Just a few days ago, I was able to observe a hawk take down a mourning dove in our feeder area. About two feet away from where the hawk was ripping apart the dove was a rabbit watching in complete stillness. It might be horrible to think this way, but I'm glad the hawk grabbed a dove since they like to just sit and sleep inside the feeder trays haha.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Hard to believe when you actually see it happen up close, isn’t it? I’ve had the experience myself just once. As for your “horrible“ gratitude that the hawk got a mourning dove, I will just say that you and nature agree - no sentimentality.