Doves, the symbol of peace and love, are also frequent visitors to gardens across the UK, and if you’re a fan of this gentle bird, read on, as wildlife experts have revealed the best ways to attract doves to a garden.
For a thriving wildlife garden, knowing how to attract birds is a must. Especially seeing as with the right knowledge you can encourage a whole range of avians to your garden, such as attracting robins, blue tits and sparrows, too.
Now add doves to your list. These gentle birds are an excellent clean-up crew for your garden and can be attracted with just three vital steps. Let's call it the perfect trinity: food, shelter and water. Here’s everything you need to know.
Why you should attract doves to your garden
One thing people who attract lots of birds to their gardens always have is an abundance of food, shelter and water. And like most bird species, doves are more likely to visit if you have these three things.
But first, let’s explore why you should be attracting doves to your garden. Some readers will already know that pigeons and doves are part of the same family - the Columbidae family.
Essentially, there is no real difference between doves and pigeons, and in the UK, there are five species of birds that fall into the Columbidae family. Here, we will be talking about attracting stock doves, collared doves and turtle doves - all of which can be found in the UK.
‘Doves are calm and gentle in nature, and they carry lots of symbolism. Their soft cooing calls and elegant appearance bring a peaceful and warm feeling to your garden,' says James Ewens, wildlife expert at Green Feathers.
'Doves are great for cleaning up, too! They’re handy little hoovers in your garden - hoovering up dropped seeds left behind by other birds from the hanging bird feeders, they’re not hard to please once they’ve been lured.'
‘Doves also remain placid; they’re known for their complete lack of aggression, and they’re happy to coexist with any of your other garden birds - even willing to share food stations with other birds, which is sweet.
‘They’re also known for their devotion to one another; doves mate for life, which is why they’re considered a ‘romantic’ bird species in pairs. You’ll more than likely see the same pair visiting daily, which would bring a very heartwarming start to your morning.’
So, without further ado, here’s how to attract nature's very own vacuum cleaner to your garden.
1. Food
‘Doves and Pigeons are granivores, eating a variety of seeds. They particularly enjoy millet, canary seed, and sunflower hearts.'
'Because they are larger birds, they often prefer to feed on the ground, but will land on any feeder they can, and will hang out there until they’re quite ready to leave,’ comments Maria Kincaid, in-house ornithology research specialist for smart bird feeder, FeatherSnap.
‘If you’re encouraging them to ground feed, only sprinkle a small amount of food on the ground at a time, so that it’s eaten before it can spoil, and you’re less likely to attract rodents.’
However, it is worth noting that the RSPB advises against feeding birds seeds between May and October due to rising concerns about the spread of disease. Instead, they recommend feeding birds mealworms (£12.99, Amazon), fat balls (£15.99, Amazon) or suet (£10.99, Amazon).
As doves are seed eaters, you're better off planting the best plants for birds, which can also help feed and support them naturally, as they can eat the seeds they produce. The following plants all produce seeds or berries that doves (and other bird species) like to eat.
2. Shelter
‘Providing a safe place to nest would definitely attract doves to your garden space, since they are simple (and poor, bless them) nesters - installing a dove nesting cone or placing a shallow wooden nesting box in a tree would help encourage nesting,’ says James.
You can pick up a dove nesting cone for £42 on Amazon. Alternatively, opting for plants that protect and shelter birds can provide a natural solution for sheltering doves, especially rarer species.
‘To help the less common doves, like the migratory and declining turtle dove, there are some additional things that can be done that will not only benefit the doves, but a variety of species as well.'
'Nesting habitat is important, so if you’ve got hedges, especially those that share a border with fields, let them grow tall and wide to create ample nesting cover, or if you live in a rural area, allow scrubby patches of land to develop,’ says Maria.
3. Water
‘Doves also love a water source - for both drinking and bathing. Put out a shallow bird bath that will allow them to care for their feathers for bathing, as well as get the water they require,’ says Maria.
Last but not least is water, and for this, you’ll need a bird bath. Luckily, affordable bird baths are available, such as this stylish £20 stoneware bird bath by Dunelm.
‘Doves drink by suction, using their beaks as straws. Providing a wide, shallow basin that is only around three to four inches deep would be the most effective for them,’ adds James.
‘Attracting wild doves into your garden can bring a lovely sense of calm and balance to your space,’ concludes James.
‘These gentle birds help support local wildlife by spreading seeds and playing a part in the natural ecosystem, while their soft cooing and their peaceful behaviour make gardens feel more relaxing and welcoming.’
And by ensuring doves get enough of these three things, doves will be happy to visit your garden.
