The best bird feeder and seed for mourning doves
Ground feeders that swallow seed whole. Need a tray or open ground, not a tube. A low tray feeder with drainage keeps millet dry and gives doves room.
Which feeder types do mourning doves use?
| Feeder | Holds | Squirrels | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform or tray feeder | Anything | None at all | Draws the widest range of species, including ground feeders. Needs a mesh floor for drainage and daily cleanup. |
| Ground tray | Millet, cracked corn | None | A low mesh tray a few inches off the ground keeps seed out of wet soil. |
Feeders mourning doves use, budget to premium
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What seed do mourning doves like best?
| Food | Why | Storage |
|---|---|---|
| White proso millet | The best of the small grains, but also a favourite of non-native house sparrows and cowbirds. Offer it on a tray, not in a hanging feeder. | Keeps well |
| Safflower | Bitter to many squirrels, grackles, starlings and house sparrows. Birds may need a week or two to switch to it; mix it with sunflower at first. | Keeps well |
| Cracked corn | Offer only what disappears in a day. Wet, mouldy corn is dangerous to birds. Also attracts house sparrows, blackbirds and geese. | Keep dry; wet corn grows aflatoxin mould |
| Black oil sunflower | High oil content and a thin shell make it the widest-appeal seed there is. Most feeder birds in most of North America eat it. | Keeps well for months in a sealed metal can |
Food to buy for mourning doves
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Where and when should you feed mourning doves?
- Height and spot: Ground level to 2 feet.
- When: Year round across most of the US.
- Range: Nearly all of the US.
- Feeding style: Comfortable feeding on the ground or a low tray, so clear spilled seed and keep cats away.
The same setup also brings cardinals, blue jays, house finches, bluebirds and wrens, which use the same feeder types.
Nesting: A flimsy platform of twigs on a branch, gutter or ledge. Do mourning doves use birdhouses?
Feeders for other birds
Cardinals · Blue Jays · Goldfinches · House Finches · Chickadees · Titmice · Nuthatches · Woodpeckers · Bluebirds · Wrens · Orioles · Hummingbirds · Juncos · Native Sparrows · Towhees · Grosbeaks · Robins · Mockingbirds · Pine Siskins · Purple Finches · Redpolls · Keeping starlings and grackles away · Red-bellied Woodpeckers · Downy Woodpeckers · Cedar Waxwings · Quail
Get the mourning doves feeding checklist
Feeder, seed, height and cleaning schedule for mourning doves on one printable page.
Used only to send the checklist.Frequently asked questions
What is the best bird feeder for mourning doves?
A platform or tray feeder is the most reliable choice for mourning doves. Ground feeders that swallow seed whole. Need a tray or open ground, not a tube. Pair it with white proso millet, place it ground level to 2 feet, and keep it clean every two weeks. A second feeder type such as a ground tray widens the appeal without adding much work.
What do mourning doves eat at feeders?
In order of preference: white proso millet, safflower, cracked corn and black oil sunflower. The best of the small grains, but also a favourite of non-native house sparrows and cowbirds. Offer it on a tray, not in a hanging feeder. Offer one food per feeder rather than a mix, so birds are not flicking unwanted grains onto the ground to get at the one they want.
Where should I put a feeder for mourning doves?
Ground level to 2 feet. Keep it within 3 feet of a window or beyond 30 feet to avoid collisions, at least 10 feet from anything a squirrel can jump from, and 10 to 12 feet from dense shrubs so mourning doves can reach cover without cats being able to ambush them.
When do mourning doves come to feeders?
Year round across most of the US. Range: Nearly all of the US. Keep feeders stocked and clean through the season mourning doves are present in your area, since a feeder that is empty for several days is often abandoned for a neighbour's.
Do mourning doves use birdhouses?
No. A flimsy platform of twigs on a branch, gutter or ledge. A shallow wire nest cone or a small open platform under an eave is sometimes accepted. An enclosed box is not.