Can a Mourning Dove Raise Her Young Alone? Our Experience

by Kim Hegna
(Fresno CA)

A Mourning Dove’s Struggle for Survival

A few Sundays ago, my husband noticed a delicate, sparsely built mourning dove nest resting in the urn of our topiary.

Inside, nestled among twigs and leaves, lay a single egg—fragile, vulnerable, and seemingly abandoned.


The sight was touching, but what made it more striking was something I had seen just the day before.

In the corner of our yard, a scattering of feathers and remains hinted at a tragic loss—a bird, likely the father, had fallen prey to one of the many roaming cats in our neighborhood.

The realization hit me instantly: this mourning dove was alone, left to incubate her egg and raise her young without a mate.

I knew little about birds, but I did know that mourning doves are monogamous, and typically, both parents share the responsibilities of nesting and feeding their chicks.

Without her mate, this mother dove would be on her own, performing double duty to keep her hatchling alive.

The odds were against her, but my husband and I decided to step in and do whatever we could to help.

A Desperate Attempt to Protect Her Nest

After researching mourning dove nesting habits, we quickly learned that her situation was rare but not unheard of.

However, survival in such circumstances was a long shot. With this knowledge, we took action.

The first step was to camouflage her nest and make it less conspicuous to predators.

We carefully wrapped chicken wire around the topiary and draped branches and leaves over the wire mesh.

This provided her with better coverage and helped conceal her fragile home from lurking dangers, like neighborhood cats, scrub jays, and other potential threats.

But that wasn’t enough. She still had to provide warmth, food, and protection—all on her own.

Helping a Lone Mother Feed Her Young

After about three weeks, we saw a tiny mourning dove hatchling emerge from the egg.

The moment was both joyous and worrisome. With no mate to bring food, how would she manage?

We decided to try something unconventional.

Using a long-handled wooden spoon, we carefully placed birdseed near the nest, standing as far away as possible to avoid alarming her.

It was a delicate balance—we wanted to offer assistance without interfering too much.

At first, we weren't sure if our efforts were helping.

But something remarkable happened: the mother dove no longer flew away when we approached.

She stayed put, watching us, as if she somehow understood that we meant no harm.

A Guardian in the Shadows

While we were focused on helping her, we began to notice something intriguing—a second mourning dove was lingering in the yard.

This dove never approached the nest directly, but it was always nearby, watching over the mother and chick.

Whenever other birds, particularly scrub jays, came too close, this mysterious dove would swoop in and chase them away.

It almost seemed as if he were standing guard, acting as a decoy to draw attention away from the vulnerable nest.

Could this be another male who had chosen to help?

Was it possible for a mourning dove to "adopt" an unrelated mate and her chick?

We weren't sure, but whatever the case, this silent guardian played an unexpected role in protecting the nest.

A Fight Against the Odds

The reality remained that this mother dove was still facing an uphill battle.

Even with our help, even with the mysterious lookout bird, her success was uncertain.

The statistics weren't in her favor—many baby mourning doves don't make it past the first few weeks.

Yet, each morning, we found her still there, still protecting her baby, still defying the odds.

We couldn't predict the future, but one thing was certain: we were committed to helping her in any way we could.

Some might say it was just nature taking its course, but we saw something more—a story of resilience, quiet determination, and the small but meaningful ways humans and wildlife can intersect.

So, for now, we keep watching. Hoping. And holding onto the possibility that, against all odds, this mourning dove rescue might just have a happy ending.