Doves are a common sight across many landscapes, recognized for their gentle demeanor and distinctive cooing sounds. Understanding their dietary needs is important for their well-being, particularly for those who wish to interact with them, such as by offering food. Their diet in the wild is specialized, and human intervention requires knowledge of what sustains them and what can cause harm.
Natural Diet
Doves primarily consume seeds. They forage for various grass and weed seeds, including foxtail, ragweed, and pigweed, which provide essential energy. Cultivated grains like corn, wheat, millet, and sorghum are also significant components of their diet, particularly in agricultural areas. These granivorous birds rarely eat insects, but may occasionally consume small invertebrates or snails, especially during breeding season when extra protein is beneficial for raising their young.
Their diet can also include small fruits and berries, sought when seeds are less abundant, typically in late summer and fall. When people offer food, doves readily accept various birdseed mixes. Popular choices for bird feeders include white proso millet, safflower seeds, and hulled sunflower seeds. These seeds are nutritious and easily digested, as doves can swallow them whole.
Doves require grit, such as small stones or sand, to aid in the digestion of their hard seed-based diet. This insoluble grit helps grind down whole seeds in their gizzard, a muscular organ similar to a stomach. Ensuring access to these abrasive particles is important for their digestive health.
How Doves Find Food
Doves are predominantly ground feeders, pecking for seeds. They do not scratch at the ground like some other bird species; instead, they prefer to pick up readily visible seeds from bare or sparsely vegetated areas. This behavior makes them frequent visitors to open fields, gardens, and areas beneath bird feeders.
Once doves collect seeds, they store them in a specialized pouch in their throat called a crop. This allows them to quickly gather a large quantity of food and then retreat to a safer, more secluded location to digest their meal. This adaptation helps minimize their exposure to predators while foraging.
A unique characteristic of doves is their method of drinking water. Unlike most birds that scoop water and then tilt their heads back to swallow, doves can drink by suction. They submerge their bills and continuously draw water upwards, similar to drinking through a straw. This ability allows them to consume water quickly while remaining vigilant for potential threats.
Foods to Avoid
It is important to know which human foods can be harmful. Bread products offer very little nutritional value for doves and can swell in their digestive system, leading to discomfort or more serious issues. Foods like chocolate and caffeine are toxic to birds and should never be offered.
Avocado contains persin, which can be toxic to birds, potentially causing heart damage and respiratory distress. While the flesh contains less persin than the skin, pit, and leaves, it is safest to avoid offering any part of the avocado. Salty foods, processed snacks, and sugary items are also detrimental, contributing to digestive problems or nutrient deficiencies.
Fruit pits and apple seeds can contain cyanogenic glycosides, which release cyanide when digested, making them unsafe. Providing clean, fresh water is as important as appropriate food, as doves need ample hydration, particularly due to their unique drinking style and to aid digestion. Any food offered should be fresh and free from mold or contaminants.