Successful dove nests require about 30 days from the start of the nest building to the departure of the young. In the Southeast, 80 percent of nesting occurs between the end of the first week in April and the end of the first week of September. During this time, doves nest repeatedly and can have five successful nests. Northern states have a shorter nesting season.
Most dove nests are unsuccessful. Storms cause the most nest losses, followed by predators such as rat snakes, blue jays, crows, grackles, screech owls, raccoons and opossums, which take eggs or nestlings. If a nest is lost, the parents will begin another nest within a few days.