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Whistling
Mourning Doves
Have you ever heard the whistling sound made when mourning doves take flight?
I always used to assume it was a vocal sound they made from their beaks. But curiosity got the best of me and I finally did some research. I found out my assumption was quite wrong. It is actually their wings that make the whistling sound!
It is called "wing whistles." When mourning doves are frightened, they take off quickly and the sound comes from special feathers on their wings. Air rushes through those feathers when they quickly flap their wings when they take off. The air rushing through causes the feathers to vibrate and hence the whistling noise.
There is a very good purpose to this noise. It serves as a warning to other nearby birds that there may be danger nearby. I have even seen squirrels go scampering off. It is an amazing alarm system to alert others of possible predators.
This is one more piece of info that just shows how cool nature is! Mourning doves are such special birds for their gentle demeanor and this simply adds to their amazing appeal!
Most birds have an alarm call when danger approaches. We’ve all heard Blue Jays scream their heads off when the dreaded outdoor cat is spotted. Crows do the same when they see a hawk. Doves can’t scream like that. They don’t have much of a vocal range. The only thing they can do is coo. Don’t get me wrong, cooing is fine. I have nothing against cooing, but it’s not a great way to sound an alarm. Try this: The next time there is an emergency, start saying “coooo, coooo.” I doubt those around you will get the sense that there’s trouble (although they may look at you funny). To make up for their lack of a strong voice, they use their wings to announce danger."
Bird Watcher's General Store website,
The Mourning Dove Wing Whistle,
09-10-2010
