The Mourning Dove, one of North America’s most common dove species, has evolved a reproductive strategy centered on speed to compensate for high mortality rates. This bird is able to produce multiple broods, sometimes up to five or six clutches in a single season, thanks to a remarkably short nesting cycle. Their entire reproductive process is designed to be efficient, allowing them to initiate a new nest just days after the previous young have departed.
Development Inside the Nest
The period from hatching to leaving the nest is highly accelerated for dove squabs (baby doves). Once the two white eggs hatch after about 14 days of incubation, the blind, helpless nestlings are fed a unique substance called “crop milk.” This high-protein, high-fat secretion is produced by the specialized lining of the parents’ crops, providing a dense, nutrient-rich food source.
The squabs’ diet consists almost exclusively of this crop milk for the first three to four days, fueling their fast growth. Around day five or six, the parents begin to gradually mix partially digested seeds into the crop milk, transitioning the young to an adult diet. This nutritional shift supports the development of their plumage; full body feathers begin to emerge by about seven days old. The squabs must prepare quickly, as the nests are often flimsy platforms of loosely arranged twigs, providing little long-term security.
The Critical Fledging Window
Baby doves are typically ready to leave the nest between 11 and 15 days old, averaging 12 to 14 days. Fledging is the moment the young bird takes its first flight and permanently vacates the nest, a process that is often sudden and clumsy.
Though capable of a limited, fluttering flight, the young doves are not fully proficient at this age, which is much earlier than many other songbirds. They leave the nest before they are fully grown and while their tails are still quite short. If the young are reluctant to leave by the 13th day, the parents may stop feeding them at the nest to encourage their departure. Once a baby dove has left the nest, it will not return to the original nesting site.
Post-Fledging Dependency
A dove that has just left the nest is called a fledgling, and it is not yet independent. The fledgling remains completely reliant on its parents for food and guidance for an extended period after its initial departure. The male parent is usually the primary caregiver during this time, often taking over feeding duties as the female prepares for the next clutch of eggs.
Parents continue to feed the fledgling for up to two or three weeks post-fledging, a time when the young bird is learning to fly more skillfully and forage for its own seeds. During this learning phase, the fledglings are often found on the ground or perched low in bushes and trees near the original nest location. They generally achieve full independence and disperse from their parents at around 30 days old.
When to Help a Baby Dove
It is important to distinguish between a nestling and a fledgling before attempting to intervene with a baby dove found outside the nest. A nestling is a very young bird, largely featherless or covered only in down, unable to hop or walk, and should be returned to its nest if possible. A fledgling is fully feathered, may appear scruffy with a short tail, but is alert and can walk or hop.
If a fully feathered fledgling is found on the ground and appears otherwise healthy, it is best to leave it alone, as its parents are likely nearby watching and feeding it. If the fledgling is in immediate danger, such as in the path of traffic or threatened by a cat, it can be gently moved to a safer, elevated spot like a dense shrub or low tree branch. Only if the bird is visibly injured, cold, or if both parents are confirmed to be absent for several hours should a licensed wildlife rehabilitator be contacted for assistance.