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How to Get Rid of Mourning Doves Without Breaking the Law

Mourning doves are federally protected. The legal options are feeder changes, exclusion and nest-site deterrence — and timing matters.

By Salma 2 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
A pair of mourning doves perched close together on a conifer branch
Photo: MiniMe-70, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay
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Mourning doves are federally protected in the US, so this is a question about deterrence and timing, not removal.

Step 1: change the feeding setup

changeeffect
Remove platform and tray feedersRemoves the only feeder doves use easily
Tube feeder, short perches, no trayExcludes them; small songbirds unaffected
Caged feeder with small meshExcludes doves and squirrels together
Drop millet, milo, cracked cornRemoves their preferred seed
Sweep spilled seed dailyEnds ground feeding under the feeder

Doves feed on the ground. Take the ground feeding away and most of the flock relocates within a week.

Step 2: block the nest sites — before spring

They build flimsy platforms on flat surfaces, so anything flat near the house is a candidate:

  • Porch ledges and beam tops — fit a sloped board at 45 degrees or more
  • Light fittings and security cameras — spikes or a mesh cone
  • Hanging baskets and planters — check every few days in spring and clear the first twigs
  • Gutter corners and pergola joints — mesh

Once there are eggs, it is illegal to interfere

Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act an active nest with eggs or young cannot be moved or removed. The cycle is about 14 days of incubation plus 12 to 15 days to fledging — roughly four weeks. Wait, then clear and block the site the same day, because doves return to successful sites.

Step 3: skip the things that do not last

  • Plastic owls and hawk decoys — ignored within days unless moved constantly
  • Reflective tape and holographic discs — a few days of effect
  • Ultrasonic repellers — no effect on birds
  • Netting left slack — a trap hazard; fit it taut or not at all

If the problem is only noise

Dawn calling is seasonal and tied to breeding. Blocking the nest sites near bedroom windows is the measure that actually reduces it; the birds themselves will keep calling from the neighbourhood trees, and nothing lawful changes that.

Common questions

Are mourning doves protected?

Yes. In the United States the mourning dove is covered by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which makes it illegal to kill, capture or possess the birds, or to disturb an active nest containing eggs or young, without a permit. They are a legal game species in many states during a regulated hunting season, which is a separate matter from removing them from a yard. In practice, that means deterrence and exclusion are the only options available to a homeowner.

What keeps mourning doves off a bird feeder?

Change the feeder rather than fight the birds. Doves are ground feeders with a wide body, so tube feeders with short perches and no tray exclude them almost entirely, as do caged feeders with mesh sized for small songbirds. Remove platform and tray feeders, stop scattering seed on the ground, and switch mixes away from the millet, cracked corn and milo doves prefer towards sunflower hearts and nyjer. Sweeping up spilled seed daily does the rest.

How do I stop doves nesting on my porch or in a hanging basket?

Deter before they commit, because once eggs are laid you must legally leave them. Doves build very flimsy nests on flat ledges, light fittings, hanging baskets and planters, so block those surfaces with a sloped board, bird spikes or mesh before the nesting season starts. Check hanging baskets every few days in spring and remove the first few twigs — a pair will usually move on if the site keeps failing in the first day or two.

What if a dove has already nested somewhere inconvenient?

You have to wait it out, and it is shorter than people expect. Mourning doves incubate for about 14 days and the young leave the nest roughly 12 to 15 days after hatching, so the whole cycle is around four weeks from the first egg. Once the young have fledged and the nest is empty, remove it and block the site immediately — doves reuse successful sites and often raise several broods a season.

Do dove deterrents like decoys and reflective tape work?

Briefly. Plastic owls, reflective tape, holographic discs and balloon-type scare devices produce a few days of avoidance and then get ignored, unless they are moved frequently. Ultrasonic devices do not work on birds. What works durably is physical: spikes, mesh, sloped surfaces and removing the food. Treat visual deterrents as a stopgap while you fit something permanent.

Are mourning doves actually a problem?

Mostly they are a tidiness issue rather than a damaging one. The genuine complaints are droppings on a porch or furniture under a nest, large numbers dominating a feeder and emptying it, and the dawn calling. They do not damage structures or plants. If the only issue is volume at the feeder, switching feeder type usually solves the whole thing without any deterrence at all.

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