What Happened? Baby Doves Gone Overnight

by Cory
(San Diego, CA)

Who Took the Mourning Dove Chicks?

Greetings. We are proud to say we have fledged many, many baby birds from our yard over the years.

This means, of course, we have also seen many nests raided and the young chicks snatched away.


We have always assumed the culprits were cats or rats since the scene involved major disruption of the nest and feathers everywhere.

And some may have indeed been such predators although we didn't actually witness such attacks.

But, over the years we have in fact discovered that other bird species are the most likely culprits.

Crows often prowl our yard, and we were shocked (and amazed and even somewhat delighted as birdwatchers) when we witnessed a coopers hawk swoop in one day and inspect everything (fortunately, no nests then).

Then, about a year ago, I observed another dove -- of all things -- brutally harassing another parent dove doing its best to sit on its nest and tend its babies.

The attacking dove stood on the nesting doves back and ripped feathers from it until the mate returned and fought off the aggressor.

This made me wonder if anyone has ever seen another dove raid a nest and carry off or kill the babies. Anyone?

Then this: Last week we had a pair of Mourning doves with very young chicks on a nest they had used already this season to fledge two broods successfully.

The nest is supremely concealed, about three feet off the ground in a flower pot mounted on a low fence.

It cannot be seen from above or on three sides.

It is covered by many low hanging branches and boughs, but it was an ideal place for our observation.

We often sat on a bench just three feet away, where the parents and chicks calmly tolerated us.


Unfortunately we awakened on Saturday to find both chicks gone.

But here's the thing, there was no disturbance to the nest at all, no feathers, no down, not a twig out of place.

Also, there was no disturbance to the surrounding foliage or ground cover of any kind.

Though in past years we have seen cats and even rats on patrol, that's been so very long ago we discount the possibility this time, especially in light of the fact that there was not a twig out of place.

The one thing my sharp-eyed wife did find on the ground was the two crops or livers of the babies, as clean as if they’d been removed by a surgeon and washed for research.

No other bit of debris or carnage or disruption of any kind.

So my question: Have any of you ever witnessed or learned of such a raid conducted by other mourning doves?

Of course we are skeptical, and of course it's natural to assume another form of predation, but the scene is so perfectly intact.

It's as if the parents and babies had simply flown away by choice (minus the crops) that we just cant figure it out.

We've set our trusty traps for rats (catch-and-release, of course), and we keep our eyes peeled for cats.

Even though like I said earlier, the neighbors say they haven’t seen any cats around in years. We are confident no larger bird can detect the nest.

We are open to all suggestions, especially from anyone who's had a similar situation.

Thanks!