Peaceful Perchers

Doves and pigeons are found almost everywhere on Earth and for thousands of years have been symbols of peace, love and tranquility. They belong to the Columbidae family and are related to the extinct Dodo.

Mourning Doves Zenaida macroura are common backyard birds. Their gentle "coo-ah, coo-coo-coo" call is familiar to most North Americans. Doves are not picky eaters and can be attracted by most any type of bird seed in standard feeders or on the ground. They also eat weed seeds from the garden which makes them nice to have around.

Mourning doves visit our backyard year round and some of them have metal bands around their ankles. I don't why they're banded. Perhaps they are part of a research project.
This pair of doves looked cozy together on top the block wall. After preening each other feathers they retreated up to the neighbor's lemon tree.
For the next few days, the male dove would walk around our yard looking for suitable twigs or pine needles to take up and offer to the female at the nest building site in the lemon tree.
Considering that doves have a reputation for building flimsy nests, it was surprising how much time and care the dove took to select each particular item to add to the nest. After meticulously searching for a suitable stick, he would bring it up to the top of the 10 foot tall wall.
Then after a minute or so for a final inspection, he would at last carry the stick up to the nest. He followed that routine over and over again for several hours each day.
After three days of intense nest building, the pair rested on top of the wall. That was three weeks ago, and since then, no more dove activity has been observed near the lemon tree. I can't see into the nest from my yard, so I don't know if they are using it.

"And there my little doves did sit.
With feathers softly brown,
And glittering eyes that showed their right
To general Nature's deep delight."
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning

We also have White-winged Doves Zenaida asiatica mearnsii in our yard. They arrived here in April after wintering somewhere south of the U.S. - Mexico border. They are fun to watch and their cooing sounds like "who cooks for you" and "hoo hoo hoo."
Just like the Mourning Doves, the White-wings visit gardens and eat seeds from the ground or from the bird feeder. They will be around Tucson until September when they head south again for the winter.White-winged Doves are very active at Sabino Canyon right now because the saguaro cacti are blooming and the doves like the nectar. They help pollinate the flowers and will enjoy eating the saguaro fruit that ripen next month.
Apparently Tucson artist, Ted DeGrazia, appreciated these types of birds. His painting, La Paloma, is part of the 100 Years, 100 Works retrospective at his Gallery in the sun.
In the courtyard of DeGrazia's Gallery of the Sun, a Mourning Dove peacefully enjoyed the morning sunlight.
And, just outside the gallery, a White-winged Dove perched high up on a dried agave blossom, watched over DeGrazia's grave site.
Here's a Rock Dove (aka Pigeon) on the steps of the Architecture building at the University of Arizona near downtown Tucson, Arizona. Pigeons are common in urban areas around the world and many people find them appealing. Artists Matisse, Monet, and Picasso all loved pigeons. Picasso even named his daughter Paloma, which is Spanish for pigeon.

Rock Dove Columba livia

What types of Pigeons or Doves do you see in your area?