Primary Feather Molt Of Adult Mourning Doves In Central Texas

Adult mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) were live trapped on the Texas A&M University Campus during August through December in 1978 and 1979. Known adult doves were examined to determine the sequence of primary replacement. A linear regression of primary molt on time indicated that less than 1 percent of adults completed molt by 1 September. All adult doves had completed molt by 1 December. Classing all doves which have completed molt in September as hatch-year birds would cause no significant aging bias in Texas.