KidzSearch Encyclopedia:Very good articles/Mourning Dove
The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family (Columbidae). It has five subspecies. The number of Mourning Doves is estimated to be approximately 475 million. They are found in North America. Mourning Doves are light grey and brown, and males and females look similar.
The species mostly have one partner at a time. Both parents incubate and care for their chicks. Adult Mourning Doves usually eat only seeds. The young are fed crop milk by the parents.
The Mourning Dove is hunted both for sport and meat. Up to 70 million birds are shot in the United States every year. Its mournful woo-oo-oo-oo call gives the bird its name. The bird is a strong flier, and can fly at up to 88 km/h (55 mph).