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- Feeding the birds regularly I note that they have different ways about it: (of the birds that will eat seeds) some will only eat off the elevated feeder, while others will eat off the feeder or the ground, whichever seems most convenient at the time. The bird feeder is suspended over part of an asphalt driveway, making the dropped seeds easy to find.
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- Mourning doves are different for a couple reasons though: they will only eat off the ground [I haven’t *ever* seen one eat from the elevated bird feeder, or even ever *land* on it], they will only eat small pieces of anything [they never try to tear up a big piece of anything], and they eat the whole seed [they don’t ever spit out the shells]. Is there some physiological reason for any of this? Are pigeons the same or different? - DougC
I dunno - several web sites about birds report mourning doves eating from feeders, and not just on the ground. I think it is likely that you may have a certain set of circumstances that discourage them from eating on the feeder.
Nearly all of what makes up a mourning dove’s diet is seeds of weeds and plants, and these are most often found on the ground or close to it, so it may be a strong driver towards them remaining on the ground.
Mourning doves and rock doves (aka your friendly local pigeons) are in the same family – very close cousins, in fact – notable differences being 1) the mourning dove is slimmer, has a longer tail, and coos musically, and 2) they’re more apt to be found in the suburbs and rural areas than well, your friendly neighborhood pigeon.
Most members of the pigeon family are ground feeders. Physiologically I’d imagine it’s because of the way they’re built – they’re heavier, for one, and having a rather large front…well, if one’s balancing itself on a birdfeeder, it may very well topple!
[sub]This isn’t a purely scientific answer – it’s based on my observations as a fellow bird-watcher…[/sub]
As the other responders have said, Mourning Doves are typically ground feeders. They are relatively large, heavy, and clumsy, and their feet don’t grasp a perch as securely as those of songbirds. While it’s not impossible for them to land on elevated feeders, they may prefer to feed on the ground. And there may be something about your particular feeder that makes them reluctant to land there.
As for not tearing up food, and not spitting out ths shells of seeds, Mourning Doves have relatively weak bills compared to many of the other birds that come to feeders such as sparrows and finchs. With their strong bills, the other birds are capable of tearing things up or cracking the shells of seeds. When eating seeds, the dove swallows them whole and relies on grit in the powerful gizzard to crack them open so they can be digested.