Sounds of the Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

Shortcut: Oo-wah-hooo, hoo-hoo.

Song: See call below.

Call: The male's territorial and courtship call is a series of mournful cooing notes, with the second note stressed and higher in pitch than the other: oo-wah-hoo-oo-oo. This call may be mistaken for the hooting of a distant owl. A shorter call, oo-waoh, is used by both sexes during activities near the nest. Mourning Doves often produce a prominent whistling twitter when flying, especially during takeoff or landing. This nonvocal sound may indicate alarm.