[Rhodes22-list] Morning Doves: Mourning Doves

[Jim White]

   Hay Chihuahua
   Here in South Texas (and Texas in general) Dove hunting is a closely
   regulated sport. In the Rio Grande Valley, (where I'm from) the
   white-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) was the primary object of hunting
   pressure all through my growing up days. Like almost everyone here, I
   was reared in a hunting family, and have participated in the sport
   almost all of my life until fairly recently (lost all of my guns in a
   fire last year). I am now not anti-hunting...like Ben, I just don't
   hunt, so I guess that makes me a "non" hunter or maybe "former"
   hunter.
   Anyway, the white-winged dove used to blacken the skies around
   here....plenty of habitat and numbers. It was an economic boom to an
   impoverished area, with seasons lasting something like six weeks in
   duration. Through the years, the native habitat gave way to farm
   fields and (especially) urban development, and the dove numbers began
   to decline. Much of the population moved south, and that's even
   diminished due to the destruction of nesting habitat from people
   cutting down the mesquite trees in order to supply our insatiable
   taste for mesquite charcoal products. Now the season here is 2
   weekends in September. Quite a change. Mourning Dove (Zenaida
   macroura) are still hunted, but the season has diminished as well due
   to the same reasons.
   However, dove hunting still remains popular, and in defense of the
   hunter, the kill ratio is something like half a box of shells per dove
   taken. It's just not easy meat. Bag limits are strict, and the law is
   rigidly enforced. The real culprit is habitat destruction.
   Please be aware that although my avocation is marine biology, because
   I am employed in academia, much of my income is based on "soft" money
   (i.e. grants) and consulting work. Because I have a background in
   ornithology, I do a great deal of consulting work in the area of rare
   species and rare species surveys, especially birds. In general these
   species have one thing in common: their listing as rare or endangered
   is a result of habitat loss, not unregulated hunting pressure (except
   maybe in the case of the now extinct passenger pigeon). Granted, we
   have the ability to adversely affect wildlife, but we also have the
   moral obligation to protect (I like to use the term "caretake")
   critters for future generations.
   FYI, According to Kenn Kaufmans Birds of North America
   (Houghton-Mifflin 4th Edition 2000) there are only 2 species of Zenida
   (the two mentioned above) found on in the United States. However,
   there are 9 species of doves (a common term which includes several
   genera) in the US (including the two Zenaida sp.); six are found here
   in the RGV.  I have not checked my other references as I don't have
   them handy here at the lab.
   Finally, this area is now recognized as having the greatest diversity
   of bird species in the United States, so our focus has evolved from
   hunting to birding, and catering to the folks who travel here to list
   species, instead of kill 'em....sort of a natural evolution no?
   Ironically, many hunters that I know, share the passion of birding
   also, true conservationists! I guess it's our redneck genetics, or
   maybe the ability to compartmentalize that allows us to do that.
   Glad there is another bird-person on the list.
   jw
   Jim White
   Le Menagerie
   At 10:47 PM 09/16/2004 -0400, you wrote:

     Well couldn't you just guess that our little resident band of
     wind-driven nimrods knows nothing about the beautiful mourning dove
     except how to kill it.  Can't even get the name right.
     The mourning dove (NOT  "morning", please) is one of only four
     known species of the genus Zenaida.  Another is the white-winged
     dove of the southwest.  A third, the Zenaida dove, has been pretty
     much driven out of its Florida habitat, but may occasionally be
     found on various Caribbean islands.  The fourth species, the
     Socorro dove (Zenaida graysoni, as it happens), has been driven to
     extinction by humans within the past 30 years.  All are gone.
     Can't kill any more.  Oh darn.
     Mourning doves are plentiful and quite tame;  with the right food
     and a little patience you can shoot them right out of the bird
     feeder at mealtimes.
     The common domestic pigeon, or Rock dove, is an entirely different
     bird, of the genus Columba.  I'll leave it to you and Google to
     sort out the rest.
     <G>