If this larger-than-average backyard bird isn’t given the area it needs to fly in on its way to feeders, it will be difficult for it, and especially for Mourning Doves, to land on feeders.
Placement of Grief Dove feeders require an open area, most likely on the grass, and are best placed in the yard’s center. Feeders need to be placed in a clear, well-lit, and sunny area. While ground feeders are preferable, a platform feeder mounted on a tripod can also work.
You are reading: Placement Of Dove Feeders
Doves, being such a large bird with a large wingspan, may have difficulty accessing lofty bird feeders, therefore we should give them some thought before installing them.
In order to attract doves, hang an open-topped platform bird feeder in a well-lit area without any obstructions.
Since most people would rather not draw doves and pigeons to their bird feeders, the presence of a feeder in the yard is likely to attract doves.
Do Not Forget a Funeral Since seeds make up the bulk of a dove’s diet, they are an essential component of any successful bird feeder strategy. It is crucial to place the seeds in a well-lit area that can be seen from above.
Other bird species will also spot the seeds and eat them in the process, though I am sure plenty will be left over for doves if enough is supplied.
What with Mourning Doves preferring to foraging on the ground as they naturally would in the wild – seeds falling into the ground below feeders will only aid this huge common species, rather than harm their efforts.
Where you should set a Mourning Dove feeder is in a lit up location, devoid of things that can get in their path mid-flight – with feeders visible in all directions.
Place in unobstructed clearing
The Mourning Dove has a 22-inch wing span, making it the largest member of the dove and pigeon family. Therefore, any feeder you set out for this species should be placed in a spot where it will not be hindered by other birds.
When and where in your yard may you safely feed doves? What is a clearing, and where is it located?
Doves prefer open-top platform feeders, so it makes sense to put one in the middle of the yard, where it’s easily accessible to the majority of birdwatchers.
Put the Mourning Dove feeder in the middle of the yard, well away from any potential obstructions like trees or garden furniture.
Doves are a larger bird that is inherently uncoordinated, making them appear pretty clumsy whenever they attempt to perch on feeders way too tiny for them, therefore you should strive for a wide unobstructed space.
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A Mourning Dove may be harmed if it is forced to fly through or around obstacles on its way to the feeder, which is stocked with its preferred food source, seeds.
The best spot for Mourning Dove feeders is in the middle of the yard, but you can put them over to the side if necessary.
A Mourning Dove feeder should be placed in a well-lit area where the birds can see it whenever they fly overhead, which is pretty much all the time.
Position in less hazardous area
Although I feel it’s vital to stress the ongoing threats to Mourning Doves — which are frequently spotted in suburban yards — let’s do all we can to clear a flight path to the feeders.
Anywhere there is at least a 10-foot-wide open space is a good spot to put a ground- or stand-mounted, open-platform bird feeder.
To further ensure the safety of this sluggish dove, we need a larger buffer zone between the feeder and any potential dangers it may encounter.
Safe, as cats in the neighborhood may wait in ambush for Mourning Doves as they land to dine in your yard.
When Mourning Doves are fed in a large, open area, they have a better chance of seeing any cats or other predators lurking in the nearby long grass or foliage.
Mourning doves are best fed on an open top platform with plenty of perching space. While thinking about a platform bird feeder that can be suspended from the ceiling or a platform bird feeder that can be placed three to four feet off the ground on a matching stand.
Ground feeder a favorite
Among the many common native plants that Mourning Doves will eat when foraging in the wild are the seeds of cultivated grains, grasses, and ragweeds.
That must logically imply by definition Mourning Doves, which are ground-dwelling birds, will most likely scavenge for seeds in the yard. Doves will utilize a bird feeder, and they will take the seeds that fall to the ground from overhead bird feeders.
Since Mourning Doves are one of the most common backyard birds, it stands to reason that they would prefer to eat the ground rather than the more difficult-to-reach tree-based fare they would encounter in the wild.
We now know that the best spot to put a feeder to attract mourning doves is on the ground.
As I’ve noted before, putting out a feeder on the ground is problematic if there are cats in the area, but it’s a great idea if there aren’t any problems with predators.
Put the open top platform ground bird feeder in your yard, or move it to a spot where you regularly encounter doves.
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In order to attract doves, the wild bird seed must be spread out on top of this flat platform, which will be oriented toward the sky and placed in a well-lit region.
Mourning Doves will eat spillages
You can install a platform bird feeder on a pole, on top of a tree stump (as shown), on a deck railing, or even on the ground, and Mourning Doves will still do their hardest to eat the seeds.
When your bird feeders are suspended from a branch or pole, and the birds spill their food as they eat, you can count on Mourning Doves to clean up the area underneath them.
If you don’t have a Mourning Dove-safe feeder, you can sprinkle seeds on the ground, below feeders, and the doves will eat them and clean up the mess, allowing you to continue feeding smaller birds.
Doves will only consume wild bird seeds, therefore those are what should be scattered, but keep in mind that other birds that feed on the ground, such as Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays, may want a taste of the action as well.
Know that Mourning Doves will browse on the ground below bird feeders to pick up what other dining birds drop and put out a feeder for them accordingly.
Avoid putting feeders in places where Mourning Doves have a hard time finding food; these birds benefit more from ground-based foraging than from eating from feeders.
Summarizing up
Since the Mourning Dove is the largest member of the dove and pigeon family, the location you choose for the Mourning Dove bird feeder must be in a space free of any potential obstructions.
Having the bird feeder in the yard’s center, in a big open space where there is no yard art, washing lines, or structures to get in the way, is ideal.
Mourning Doves, as you might expect, are not the most nimble birds in our yards. As a result, they are often seen moving slowly and having trouble feeding from any bird feeder, except for an open, platform feeder.
They may be slow fliers, but cats and other predators can still corner them and kill them.
Doves need a large, open space where they can see in all directions, so put feeders in the yard’s center, far from any cover or places where predators might lurk.
Because mourning doves naturally forage on the ground, a feeder for these birds should be put on the floor.
You can keep using a platform bird feeder, whether it is on a stand or is designed to be hung or mounted, as long as you consider offering an unobstructed flight path.
Foraging for spillages right below hung feeders, where bird food tends to fall to the ground, and where smaller birds will eat from up above is an effective strategy for discouraging Mourning Doves from eating from feeders.
Source: https://petstutorial.com
Category: Birds
