Faiho Facts
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Did you know?
- Doves and pigeons belong to the same family, Columbidae, and have many similar features. Their ability to find their way home over hundreds, even thousands of miles is unsurpassed in the animal kingdom.
- The long, pointed wings and tail of the mourning dove enable these birds to fly fast. Mourning doves have been clocked at 55 mph!
- Doves can adapt to almost any environment. The only places in the world they are not found are in places of extreme conditions such as deserts and the Antarctic.
- Doves mate for life. Beginning as early as 7 months old, female doves can begin breeding. Females almost always lay two eggs at a time. Although possible, it is very rare that they lay only one egg, as is three or more eggs.
- Eggs are typically laid 8-12 days after mating. The incubation period is only 18 days before the eggs will hatch. Such a short gestation period means a pair of doves can have up to 9 broods in a year.
- When baby doves are born, both the male and female adults secrete a cottage cheese type milk called “crop milk” to feed them for the first 3 days of their life. This milk is richer in protein and fat than milk produced by mammals.
- Doves are primarily seed-eaters, not insect-eaters. When they grab seeds off the ground, they are not necessarily eating them; they are saving them for later. The seeds collect in the “crop,” which is simply an enlarged part of their esophagus. They will digest this food source at another time.
