Doves are beneficial to man; they eat seeds of pest plants and generally do not damage crops. Foods are weed seeds and waste grains (these two items together may make up 98 percent of a dove's diet), a few insects, snails and slugs. Doves don't cling to stalks or scratch for food -- they pick seeds off the ground. Favored weeds are croton, foxtail, smartweed, ragweed and seeds of various grasses and sedges. Grains eaten include corn, wheat, oats, barley, rye and buckwheat left on the ground by mechanical harvesting methods.

Seeds of plants such as croton and foxtail grass are very small, and single doves have been found with literally thousands (7,500 croton, 6,400 foxtail grass) in their crops. Grit aids in grinding up food, and it may be taken in the form of gravel, cinders, glass or any other small, hard material. Doves seen along roadsides often are picking up grit. In addition to food and grit, doves need water every day. Ordinarily they fly to a stream, creek or pond early in the morning and again in the evening.

And.. if your interested,

[b]Dove Au Vin[/b]

1 c All-purpose flour
1 ts Salt
1 ts Pepper
12 Doves; dressed
1/3 c Butter or margarine
1 c Celery; chopped
1 c Onion; chopped
1 sm Green bell pepper; chopped
10 1/2 oz Can beef consomme
1/2 c Dry red wine
Hot cooked noodles or rice


Combine flour, salt and pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add doves, a few at a time; seal and shake to coat. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add doves, and cook until browned, turning once. Place doves in a lightly greased 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish. Sprinkle celery, onion, and bell pepper evenly over doves; add consomme. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350F for 1-1/2 hours. Pour wine over doves, and bake, covered, 30 additional minutes. Serve with noodles or rice. Yield: 6 servings.

[:)]

alka-seltzer comes to mind [devil]