"Who cooks for you?"

For the past few weeks, I have been hearing a different sound in the mornings. I am usually waked by the birds that are demanding their breakfast but lately there is a bird that is asking "Who cooks for you?" I knew that it was a dove but could never distinguish exactly where the sound was resonating from to be able to get a positive identification. Each time that I would step outside, the cooing would stop. I did know that it was not a Mourning Dove..they do not care who cooks for me..as long as I put seed out for them they are happy. This bird was different.

Today was the day that I finally made an identification! A White-winged Dove! I was trying to cool off a bit after working in the yard when I noticed several doves fly in to the feeders. Nothing unusual about that..at any given time you can count from ten to thirty Mourning Doves pecking away at the seeds that other birds drop from the feeders. I have written about the mourning doves several times, especially about their shoddy nest-building skills. I love to see them under the feeders and will actually toss seed on the ground specifically for them (and now the quail!). But one of the doves looked a bit different today. Instead of being squatty and always pecking the ground oblivious to whatever is happening around them, this bird was leery of every movement. It stretched its neck high as if to view the entire surrounding area. Where the Mourning Doves would meander slowly around pecking each and every seed, the White-winged Dove darted here and there..peeking around grasses and steering clear of Ezzy,the dog.

The White-winged Dove is not exactly rare here..but it usually only winters here and heads out West to nest. I guess this one either liked the Bayou enough to stay or it just plain forgot to migrate! The bird is sort of brownish-gray. It has dark gray wings that have white stripes. When the wings are folded, it is the stripes that give the bird its name. Another odd feature..the bird has striking red legs and feet!