Best Time to See Mourning Doves in the US
April, May and March is the best time to see mourning doves in the United States. This is a national picture built from 238,725 verified iNaturalist observations across 50 states, showing when and where mourning doves are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
238,725 verified observations of mourning doves in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When mourning doves are recorded in the US
Peak month
April
43,268 records (18.1% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 14,945 | 6.3% |
| February | 17,339 | 7.3% |
| Marchpeak | 25,757 | 10.8% |
| Aprilpeak | 43,268 | 18.1% |
| Maypeak | 32,486 | 13.6% |
| June | 22,377 | 9.4% |
| July | 18,915 | 7.9% |
| August | 15,884 | 6.7% |
| September | 16,200 | 6.8% |
| October | 10,954 | 4.6% |
| November | 9,526 | 4% |
| December | 11,074 | 4.6% |
Mourning Doves you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Mourning Dove | 238,725 |
Across the country, mourning doves sightings peak in April, when 43,268 of the 238,725 annual observations are logged, about 18.1% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through April, May and March.
The best states to see mourning doves by recorded sightings are California (49,520), Texas (31,079), Florida (14,808), New York (12,841) and Arizona (11,103). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The mourning doves you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Mourning Dove, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see mourning doves
- mourning doves in California49,520 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in Texas31,079 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in Florida14,808 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in New York12,841 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in Arizona11,103 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in Pennsylvania10,661 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in Virginia7,879 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in Massachusetts7,849 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in Illinois6,978 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in Maryland6,898 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in Ohio6,082 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in New Jersey5,993 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in South Carolina5,678 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in North Carolina5,505 sightings, peak April
- mourning doves in Tennessee4,590 sightings, peak April
Most-recorded mourning doves species nationwide
- Mourning Dove238,725 records
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see mourning doves in the US?+
April is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through April, May and March, based on 238,725 verified observations across 50 states.
Which states are best for seeing mourning doves?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are California, Texas and Florida. California leads with 49,520 verified observations.
How many mourning doves sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 238,725 verified mourning doves observations are logged on iNaturalist across 50 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of mourning doves live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Mourning Dove, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.