Factors influencing mourning dove nest success in CRP fields

Mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) nest primarily in trees. However, ground nesting is prevalent in the Great Plains region where mourning dove numbers have increased since the mid 1980s when the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was initiated. We monitored mourning dove nest success in CRP fields in Kansas during 1994 and 1995 to determine if that habitat could be a source for the increased numbers. Mourning dove nest success averaged 56% (n = 90) in our CRP fields. Daily nest survival rates in CRP fields were associated positively with height of live vegetation (P = 0.011) and negatively with percent grass cover (P = 0.001) and percent live vegetation cover (P = 0.005). Management practices that produce sparse overall cover but tall vegetation height may increase mourning dove nest success in CRP fields.