Michigan

Songbird Protection Coalition

Mourning Dove Flight Speed

The mourning dove is well known for being a fast erratic flyer in comparison to other species of migratory songbirds. Record "level-flight speeds up to 55 miles per hour have been witnessed from an automobile (Bastin 1952)," and although "normal" flight speeds are near the lower end of the range, "37 to 40 miles per hour have been registered by radar (Schnell and Hellack 1978)" (1). Unfortunately, that remarkable physical ability has turned them into "targets" for some shooters who use them as a "warm up" for other seasons.

Source: (1) Ecology and Management of the Mourning Dove, p1.