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107 of 123 Laughing Dove Nests Were on Human Structures in a Ghanaian Urban Study

Laughing dove sheltering chicks in a flowerpot
Research · Reproduction & development

A study of laughing doves (Spilopelia senegalensis) in an urban landscape in Ghana found that most nests were placed on buildings and other human-made structures rather than in trees. The study was published on 18 March 2026 in Cities and the Environment.

Researchers identified and mapped 123 laughing dove nests and compared nest-site choice and breeding success between human structures and trees. They also recorded the materials used in nests and followed breeding attempts to determine whether nests contained eggs, whether the eggs hatched and whether chicks fledged.

Of the 123 nests, 107 were on human-made structures and only 16 were in trees

Of the 123 nests, 107 were on human-made structures and 16 were in trees. Around three-quarters of the recorded clutches contained two eggs.

120 of 127 recorded chicks fledged

The researchers recorded 127 chicks in total, of which 120 successfully fledged. The probability of finding eggs, successful hatching and successful fledging was significantly higher in nests on human structures than in nests in trees.

The authors interpret the pattern as evidence that laughing doves are making effective use of nesting opportunities created by urban development. Sheltered ledges, cavities and similar structures may provide relatively stable nesting sites in fragmented urban habitats.

Based on the results, the researchers recommend retaining or incorporating sheltered nesting spaces on human-made structures where appropriate. They also suggest timing building maintenance and vegetation pruning outside the birds’ breeding periods so that active nests are less likely to be disturbed.

Sources and image credit

  1. Ankuor, H. T., Imoro, Z. A., & Aikins, T. K. (2026). Laughing doves use human structures in fragmented habitats to improve breeding success. Cities and the Environment (CATE), 19(1), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.15365/1932-7048.1415Primary research article published 18 March 2026. The study mapped 123 laughing dove nests at an urban university campus in Ghana: 107 nests (87%) were on human-made structures and 16 (13%) in trees; probabilities of eggs, hatching and fledging were significantly higher on human structures.

Image: Mmelouk — laughing dove sheltering chicks in a human-made flowerpot in Egypt, photographed 25 June 2013; Wikimedia Commons; cropped to 16:9; highly relevant representative image of nesting on a human-made structure, not birds from the Ghana study · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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