Doves, especially mourning doves, form strong pair bonds, often lasting an entire breeding season or multiple years. While the notion of doves mating for life is popular, their monogamous relationships persist as long as both partners survive. Their shared responsibilities in nesting and raising young contribute to this close connection.
Immediate Behavioral Changes
When a dove loses its mate, the survivor often exhibits distress. Initially, the dove may remain close to the deceased mate, sometimes appearing to guard the body or attempting to nudge it.
The surviving dove might increase cooing and other calls, searching for the missing partner. Reduced activity levels are common, with the dove spending more time perched and less time foraging for food. Decreased interest in feeding and a drooping posture also suggest an emotional toll.
Coping and Adaptation Over Time
After initial distress, a surviving dove begins coping and adaptation. This “mourning” period varies from days to weeks, influenced by pair bond strength and individual personality. During this time, the dove might display reduced activity, isolation, or a generally subdued demeanor.
Despite distress, the instinct to reproduce leads the surviving dove to eventually seek a new mate. This re-pairing can happen relatively quickly for some, while others may take months. Mourning doves can raise multiple broods yearly, and the need to continue their reproductive cycle drives this adaptation. Changes in their daily routines, such as feeding and roosting, adjust as they become accustomed to being alone before forming a new bond.
Consequences for Nesting and Offspring
A mate’s death significantly impacts nesting activities and offspring survival. Both dove parents share responsibilities for incubating eggs and caring for young chicks. If one parent dies during this period, the remaining parent faces substantial challenges in providing sufficient food and protection alone.
Success rates for eggs or young chicks, especially those under six days old, significantly reduce if one parent is lost. While the surviving parent may attempt to continue incubating eggs or feeding nestlings, this task is often unsuccessful. Studies indicate a single parent might successfully fledge chicks if they are older (around 5-8 days old) when the other parent is lost. However, for success rates to equal those of two-parent nests, chicks need to be 9-10 days old when one parent dies.