Mourning Dove Fledgling
Zenaida macroura (fledgling)
A Mourning Dove fledgling has left the nest but often remains on the ground, low branches, fences, or roofs while its flight muscles finish developing. It makes short, fluttering flights and may freeze when threatened, while still relying on nearby parents for food. Its diet shifts from parent-fed crop milk and softened seeds toward small hard seeds picked up on its own. One notable fact is that fledglings can look nearly adult-sized while still having shorter tails and scaly-looking juvenile plumage.
- Type
- Wing
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- Mourning Dove Squab
- Mourning Dove Fledgling
- Mourning Dove