Mourning Dove numbers on different seral communities in the Chihuahuan Desert

Mourning Doves are the most commonly hunted game bird in New Mexico based o n hunter harvest data collected by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. Research is limited on the influence of rangeland ecological condition on M ourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) populations in the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico. Mourning Dove numbers were evaluated periodically (1988-1989) on r anges in late- and mid-seral conditions in south central New Mexico based o n the Dyksterhuis quantitative climax procedure. Strip transect procedures were used to estimate Mourning Dove populations. Concurrently, vegetation c anopy cover was determined by line intercept. On the basis of percent cover , grasses were the most abundant group on late-seral range while shrubs dom inated mid-seral range. Mourning Dove sightings did not differ (P > 0.05) b etween late- and mid-seral ranges, nor did they differ (P > 0.05) among gra ssland, shrubland, and shrub-grass mosaic communities. Mourning Dove popula tions showed seasonal differences (P < 0.05), with numbers highest in summe r and fall and lowest in winter and spring. Data from our study indicate th at Chihuahuan Desert ranges in either mid- or late-seral stages provide equ ally suitable habitat for Mourning Doves.