I often come across several Mourning Doves on my Nature hikes in Ottawa. You are not kidding with the speed in flight. Several times over the years I have had a Mourning Dove fly low overhead. I had never seen if anyting was pursuiing them like a falcon or hawk, but no doubt the dove could certainly make the pursuit challenging.
Is it at all possible that the 'bottoms-in' positioning is taken up not only for defensive watching, but also to warm the less densely feathered and thus more weather-vulnerable parts of their anatomy?
I often come across several Mourning Doves on my Nature hikes in Ottawa. You are not kidding with the speed in flight. Several times over the years I have had a Mourning Dove fly low overhead. I had never seen if anyting was pursuiing them like a falcon or hawk, but no doubt the dove could certainly make the pursuit challenging.
Is it at all possible that the 'bottoms-in' positioning is taken up not only for defensive watching, but also to warm the less densely feathered and thus more weather-vulnerable parts of their anatomy?
Absolutely so ... that's the "Colonel Mustard's coat tails" bit.