Dear backyard feeder watchers,
Living in Central New York has its bird-watcher perks. It also has its shortcomings. This is especially true when it comes to our year-round natives, the Mourning Doves. It’s like having uninvited guests that hog all the snacks. Year after year, these feathered friends make themselves right at home. It’s like a Friday night at Homer Hops. I dread the clean-up. Chewed up sunflower seeds everywhere!
I’m convinced they’re just here to audition for a role in the sequel to “The Birds.” Who knew bird watching could become a horror flick with no off button?
Many people adore Mourning Doves, often claiming they’re their favorite bird. In that case, set up a bird feeder on your patio for a few days. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to enjoy one or two of them visiting your bird feeder. They might also raid your black oil sunflower seeds like stoners at the nearest Taco Bell.
While I appreciate their gentle cooing, it fills the air like a never-ending love ballad. It’s sweet, but let’s not get carried away. It’s as if they’ve implemented a “cue” system for cooing at my patio—get it? Coo and cue! But in the infamous words of Shania Twain, “That Don’t Impress Me Much.”
Doves are quite relaxed about their food. They happily eat seeds from various plants, including grains, weeds, and herbs. If it’s small and edible, they consider it fair game! You can imagine them at Wegmans Market Cafe, casually nibbling away. They are already planning to stop at the nut shop on their way out.
Below is a list of seeds that Mourning Doves don’t like. (Short list, unfortunately)
- Safflower: Doves can eat it, but find the slightly bitter taste and hard shell unappealing compared to other seeds, making it great for deterring them while attracting cardinals and finches.
- Nyjer (Thistle): Tiny nyjer seeds are too small for doves to manage at feeders easily.
- Sunflower hearts/Chips: While they might eat spilled ones, shelled sunflower hearts are less messy and less favored by doves.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind doves swooping in to clean up discarded seed on the patio floor. I welcome these doves with open wings when they don’t crowd out smaller birds. It’s not fair to my songbirds or my pocketbook! I mean, if these doves keep hogging the feeder, I might as well start charging them rent.
If you’ve discovered any birdseed that Mourning Doves reject, please share it in the comments. I’m on a quest to find something, anything they don’t like. I’d appreciate your feedback. Thank you!
Until next time…
Sources:
Dreamy: How to get rid of doves
Quora: How do you get rid of doves
Dear backyard feeder watchers, Living in Central New York has its bird-watcher perks. It also has its shortcomings. This is especially true when it comes to our year-round natives, the Mourning Doves. It’s like having uninvited guests that hog all the snacks. Year after year, these feathered friends make themselves right at home. It’s like…
