 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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2.5 (2.02 - 2.98)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
Mourning Doves were hard to miss across southern Saskatchewan, their plaintive song being heard in 1,742 atlas squares. At home in open habitats with trees and shrubs for nesting, they were found in greatest relative abundance in the Mixed and Moist-Mixed Grassland ecoregions, and were common everywhere south of the boreal forest fringe. A handful of observations were made north of the forest edge near towns and mining exploration camps, as far north as Uranium City. Known for having multiple clutches in a season, breeding was confirmed as early as 30 April, with nests containing young found as late as 2 August.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
You hear a haunting who-OOH who who who in the early morning, and as you walk toward the sound a Mourning Dove flushes, its wings making an unmistakable whistle. This gentle bird, originally found throughout the countryside, has also moved to urban settings, and now you may hear the soft cooing from your bedroom in the city. Mourning Doves nest in southern Canada from central British Columbia to the Maritimes, and south through the continental US to Panama, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Greater Antilles. They withdraw in winter from the northern portions of their breeding range, especially the northern Great Plains (AOU 1998).
Throughout Saskatchewan, humans have helped create the semi-open landscapes this species prefers (Smith 1996), by establishing shelterbelts and aspen groves in the south and clearing land for forestry and agriculture in the north.
The Mourning Dove is a common summer resident north to and including the southern boreal region (Smith 1996). It is rare or irregular farther north, with 1 collected on frozen Wollaston Lake 6 May 1964, and 3 seen near Stony Rapids July 1964.
Original text by Gregory P. Kratzig. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Mourning Dove in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Mourning Dove in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=MODO&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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