COMPANIONSHIP IS AS IMPORTANT AS PROPER NOURISHMENT:
IF YOU WILL HAVE A MOURNING DOVE IN YOUR LIFE, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO ENSURE THAT, EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH HIM/HER (MOURNING DOVES ARE *NOT* "PETS", THEY ARE BORN WILD AND MIGHT NOT APPRECIATE HUMAN CONTACT), YOU MUST, WITH-OUT ANY FAILURE, DEDICATE TIME TO, AT THE VERY LEAST, BE IN THE ROOM WITH THIS LITTLE LIFE, TALK, SOFTLY, GIVE HIM/HER ATTENTION, CARE. MOURNING DOVES ARE "FLOCK" BIRDS, THEY ARE SOCIAL. YOU WILL BECOME THE "FLOCK", AND, IF SO BLESSED, YOU WILL BECOME THE "MATE"... AND REMEMBER: MOURNING DOVES MATE FOR LIFE ! THEY ARE ALSO KNOWN TO "MOURN" OR "PINE" THE LOSS OF A MATE. FAILURE TO PROVIDE SOUNDS (ALL BIRDS LIVE IN A WORLD OF SOUNDS, FROM OTHER BIRDS TO THE WIND IN THE TREES), EXERCISE, INTERACTION, ATTENTION, AFFECTION CAN LEAD TO THE MOST SERIOUS AILMENTS, INCLUDING DEATH... CAUSED BY LONLINESS ! "TIME" WITH AND FOR A MOURNING DOVE IS NOT A "CONSIDERATION", IT IS IMPERATIVE, A NECESSITY THAT CANNOT BE DEFERRED OR IGNORED ! IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE COMPANIONSHIP THEN YOU MUST INVEST THE "TIME" TO FIND PROPER HOUSING FOR THE DOVE IN YOUR CARE. THERE ARE QUALIFIED, TRULY CARING, COMPASSIONATE PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE THAN HAPPY AND WILLING TO TAKE AND LOVE A MOURNING DOVE. IT'S NOT A "FAILURE" ON YOUR PART, IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE ESSENTIAL COMPANIONSHIP, BUT IT IS NOT ONLY A "FAILURE" BUT A CRUELTY IF YOU CAN'T AND YOU SIMPLY KEEP THIS POOR LIFE UNTIL IT SLOWLY WASTES AWAY FROM LONLINESS.
HOWEVER...IF YOU'RE KEEPING A DOVE TO ONLY PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE AND THEN, WHEN RECOVERED, RELEASE HIM/HER BACK INTO THE WILD, KEEP HUMAN CONTACT TO A MINIMUM. YES, YOU DO WANT TO CONVEY A MUTUAL TRUST BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR "PATIENT", BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO INSTILL AN ABSOLUTE TRUST IN *ALL* HUMANS. THERE'S AN EXCELLENT REASON WILDERNESS BEINGS DISTRUST HUMANS. WE MUST'NT INTERFERE WITH THAT. SPEAKING SOFTLY WHILST ADMINISTERING AID, BUT KEEPING THAT TO NO MORE THAN FEW WORDS OR SOUNDS IS ALRIGHT. TOUCHING, HANDLING, FONDLING FOR ANY REASON OTHER THAN THE ADMINITRATION OF CARE IS UN-NECESSARY AND CAN CAUSE MORE DAMAGE THAN HELP AND COULD PROVE DETRIMENTAL OR FATAL WHEN YOU RELEASE A DOVE IN YOUR CARE.

 CURIOSITY AND COMPANIONSHIP:
It's very important to remember that mourning doves are "flocking", "ssocial" beings, they're accustomed to having the company of other doves. If/when you have one, either temporarily or for the long-run, although you don't need to stay with a dove constantly, s/he will fare better when you give him/her quality time during a day. Have a little "chat". You'll find that when you try to mimic a dove's "coo'ing", he/she WILL respond and reply. (I've actually had a 45-minute "conversation" with Yonah on many occassions, even from different rooms in the house.) A re-assuring tone and volume will provide a great comfort, and you might even notice that he/she will close his/her eyes and doze-off as you speak. This is the ultimate honour to you as it shows that you are trusted.

Doves recognise faces and voices and you'll see how obvious this fact is in a relatively short while.

Once they become "comfortable", although they remain ever-wary, even in the most serene environments, a dove who has lived with you a while, will come to expect your company. Keep in mind that, as has been said numerous times on this site, mourning doves congregate in flocks, they mate for life, they are accustomed to having company, being with other doves. If you are caring for only one, life and existence can become exceedingly lonely, perhaps even painfully so in the absence of a companion... and YOU are now THE companion.

Mourning doves have shown that they pine (mourn) the loss of a mate. This is clearly indicated on the second page of this site, and placed there for the purpose of impressing this fact upon readers. (So imagine that, as you are giving your heart to the little one in your care, some-where, "out there", a fellow or gal may well be "mourning" the loss of his/her loved one. Like-wise, your little companion may well be "mourning" the loss of HIS/HER loved one as well.)

This is why it's SO IMPORTANT to spend QUALITY time together. Again, if you're sure that your little one will be released back into his/her natural environment, it's best to keep contact between you to a minimum. It's not the intent or purpose here to "domesticate". But, if you both are "in it for the long-run", you'll both become "mates"... more-so thank even in the "British" sense of the word... "BFFs", "Besties", comrades, companions, "soul-mates", partners... "spouses".

After a while, you'll find that when you've been gone for a period of time, you'll hear a distinct "call"... a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo" or "woo-HOO!" If you reply, either with a "I'm here." or, as I've come to do, a return "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo", you're bound to get a reply, as if saying "Just checking. Haven't seen you in a while." It's time to make a "drop in", even for a few, brief moments, have a reassuring little "chat". It WILL make quite a difference, a GOOD difference.

And when you walk into the room, you'll most likely hear a little "HOO!", as if to say "HI!" and a scurry to the front of the house to greet or welcome you. YOU HAVE BEEN MISSED!

I've found it quite normal now, every morning, when Yonah wakes and is ready to begin the day, he'll call-out until I come in to open the curtains, freshen his drinking water and the water in his "pool". As I walk into "his" room, he'll give a distinct "HOO!" and shuffle to the front of his house. Over the course of our year-plus together, we also have time for "Good morning kisses", he will snuggle against my face as I lean into his house, and give gentle pecks on the cheek. *NOTE! NEVER PRESENT YOUR FACE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF A DOVE! THEY PECK, AND CAN PUT YOUR EYE OUT. "SIDE-ON" IF AT ALL!

Spend "quality" time and attention, and you will, no doubt, come to "understand" certain "patterns" in a mourning dove's coo'ing.

Although there are certain "calls" that have particular meanings, intentions, reasons and purposes, over the course of time with Yonah, I've come to "undertand" certain "calls" that appear to be "attention-grabbers" and "greetings". This isn't definitive, exhaustive, nor do I claim any so-called "expertise", but I list what I've experienced as a general reference. It seems that the additional "hoo's" after the initial "woo-HOO" are (or can be) the "key", so counting them can be a great insight into what's being communicated.
• woo-HOO!: This seems to be a call for attention. Either, a call to mate, or, simply a "HELLO! I'm here! I could use company!"
• woo-HOO-hoo-hoo: "Hello. Hi! How are ya? Let's chat!"
• woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo: This seems to be a "mating" sort of call. "Hey! Mrs.! I'm available if you're available." It's also a more common call, so it could be a call for attention and to start a conversation, or a "Let's PLAY!"
• woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo...hoo-hoo: I hear this one early in the morning when it's time to open the curtains and get on with the day. I also hear it if I've not been in to see Yonah for some time and he knows I'm in the house. Like-wise, I'll hear this when I come back into the house after having been away for a while.
• I've made a point of trying my best to mimic the coo's, and I can attest, with certainty, that no matter how well (or poorly) I've done, Yonah has come to recognise MY particular voice. I have a collection of recorded "bird-songs", many of which are mourning doves, coo'ing in a variety of patterns, pitches and tones. But when I coo, I can see an immediate response from Yonah AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, HE'LL REPLY TO MY COO, WHEN, ALL THE WHILE, HE GENERALLY IGNORES THE OTHERS. SO THERE'S PROOF: MOURNING DOVE'S RECOGNISE INDIVIDUAL CALLS... AND THEY'LL COME TO RECOGNISE YOURS. You might feel a bit uncomfortable, at first, giving this a try, but, over ALL else, it's SO WELL-WORTH the effort AND it WILL BE OBVIOUSLY APPRECAITED! Not to mention the JOY you'll feel when, after long moments, you'll find you've been having a dialogue with your little Companion. His/her appreciation will be OBVIOUS.

There are many accounts, on-line, on other sites, in forums and the likes, where people will report that when given free run of the house, a dove will actually come looking for "his/her people". And some doves take an obviously active interest in daily house-hold events from house-keeping to "watching TV" with "the folks". (Mourning doves are rather like parrots in this sense.)

Yonah and I have been together for more than a year as of this writing, I open the door to his house every morning and he has free run of the entire house now, and when I come into "his" room, where I've been doing most of the work on this site, and I do my house-hold book-keeping and such, he perches at a place where he can watch what-ever it is I'm doing at the work area by his house. (In fact, as I sit here, typing these notes, he's a-top his house, because I leave the door open for him, and it's just to my left, slightly above me, and he's watching... "supervising", as it were. Before I came into his room today, he called, repeatedly. But as soon as I came in and settled, he took his place and, for the longest while, has been "watching" and preening. Once in a while, he'll fly back into the house to grab a snack or drink of water and then return to his "vantage point". When I turn and talk to him, he'll come to the edge of the house-top and "coo" at me. And when I actually stop what I'm doing and move closer, he'll come toward me and stand, with-in a finger's-width from my face and "listen" as I talk to him.)If I leave the room for any length of time and am busy else-where in the house, he will either come flying through the room, merely to confirm that I'm there and once he sees me, he'll return to his house. Or he'll toddle (which is more the way doves "walk") in, stand there and wait for me to acknowledge that I see him, usually with a "Hello there! Looking for me?" and then, assured that I'm in the house AND that I haven't forogtten him, he'll go back to what-ever it is he wants to do. Another little "habit" he has is when I'm busy at the work table in his room and haven't spoken for a while, he'll fly over, land on my shoulder and peck at my ear until I speak to him. I'll tell him what it is that I'm doing and most of the time, this is enough to re-assure him and he'll be off on his way again. (If I don't respond in enough time, he'll fly up and land on my head and wait there until I DO respond.)

Dove's are curious too. If you're doing something that causes tapping or "scratching" (even hand-rubbing), you'll find it causes a tilt of the head, and an investigation. "Curiosity"... it's not just for cats. And when you leave the room, a glance over your shoulder will prove that doves pay attention because you're sure to get "a look"... a stretched neck, tilted head, a sign that seems to say "Where are you going? Will you be gone long? When do you expect to be back?" And, if given run of the house, in time, you'll see the "investigative" side come out, your little companion will start walking about, checking corners, under furniture, SO BEWARE OF ANY POTENTIAL HAZARDS AROUND THE HOUSE AND MIND WHERE YOU TREAD! MOURNING DOVES ARE SMALL AND THEIR COLOURATION BLEND EXCEPTIONALLY WELL WITH JUST ABOUT EVER OTHER COLOUR... AND THEY DON'T MAKE A SOUND TO TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE THERE! ALSO, YONAH WILL COME RUNNING OUT FROM UNDER THINGS WHEN I WALK INTO HIS ROOM AND COME DIRECTLY FOR MY FEET! AND WHEN HE COMES INTO A ROOM WHERE I ALREADY AM, WELL, I HAVE TO MIND THE FLOOR BEFORE TURNING AND STEPPING. (It might seem a bit tiring to have to be so cautious, but it becomes just as automatic as taking a next breath AND considering the JOY Yonah brings to my life, it's no effort at all.)

When I'm in the kitchen, preparing something or washing-up the dishes, the sounds of chopping, or the clinking of dishes usually elicits a "woo-HOO!" as if "What's going on out there?"

One after-noon, I decided to have a snooze in the living-room, so I went to the sofa for a lie-down. It wasn't but about 10 minutes later, I heard the "call" from the other room but I didn't reply... almost immediately I heard, my eyes were closed, the sound of wings! Yonah had ventured out of his room and came looking for me! And now that there's a futon in his room, I can take a lie-down in the room with him... and, I can say, in all honesty, with-out fail, I NEVER snooze alone! I'm no sooner on the futon, head on the pillow and Yonah is there, on my shoulder or on the pillow beside my head. (REPEATING A WARNING: BEWARE... DOVES PECK AND IF THEY HAVE OPEN ACCESS TO YOUR FACE, THEY WILL PECK AT YOUR EYES! IT'S JUST WHAT THEY DO!) More often than not, he'll make himself comfortable with me and when I wake, he'll be right there or, if he thinks "nap-time" is over, he'll peck at the top of my head to wake me.

So yes, companionship is integral, essential, necessary. Just remember: even though it was probably a matter of kindness that you brought this little one into your house, home, heart (I'm assuming you aren't here because you trapped, caught and forced a wild mourning dove to be a prisoner), quality time together, to assure him/her that you're a "Friend" is always necessary... and it IS recognised and appreciated.

ADDENDUM: 5 December 2021: As you see in the video here, your COMPANIONSHIP IS IMPORTANT, INTEGRAL AND NECESSARY IF AND WHEN YOU BRING THE LIFE OF A MOURNING DOVE INTO YOUR LIFE. S/he will depend on you for conversation, play, and contact. If you are unable to provide this companionship, or you are unwilling to do so, PLEASE DO NOT CAUSE THE LITTLE ONE TO SUFFER AND QUITE POSSIBLY DIE OF LONLINESS! There are resources available where Loving, Caring, Capable homes can be found, and people who would be as delighted and over-joyed adopting a precious little dove.

(* "doves are very tame^‡ and bond easily with humans. When that happens they start to need you to give them attention." READ MORE * NOTE: NOT ALL doves will want to be "handled", how-ever and although a mourning dove DOES require attention and affection and companionship, since they're NOT DOMESTIC, and no matter how long you are together, they NEVER will be, they will tend to see humans as "predators" and will, most likely, remain "skittish". Being in the room, talking, softly, kindly, may be all that's necessary. Again, it's OUR responsibility to respect a dove's limitations.)
^‡"tame" may apply to "domestic" doves, but mourning doves are, as a general rule, benign, some-what docile, mostly because they're easily frightened. They are not "tame" AND, they can become quite aggressive, especially males, who can inflict injury when they peck at you. Mourning doves are also "skittish", very UN-trusting, easily frightened, startled. Always allow THEM to approach first, and NEVER assume you have a "close relationship". Remember: all things happen on the DOVE'S terms. Mourning doves are not "legally" domestic, they're not "pets". Be sure to respect this fact at all times.