Here in CA we have scrub jays who bully their way around all the feeders, but the Mourning Doves are the only birds that will stand up to them. I've seen some fierce battles.

How curious! I've always thought of mourning doves as such passive creatures. And I had no idea one could literally carry off a bird as large as a blue jay -- but that's what I saw! (My husband insists it must have been a small hawk, but I could absolutely swear what I saw on top of the blue jay, pinning it down, was one of the many doves who have arrived at our feeder. Geesh! Who knew?!)

Thanks for the responses ... put mourning doves in a whole new light for me!

I'm curious also since Mourning Doves have neither hooked beak nor talons with which to grasp and carry something its own weight.
Sharp-shinned Hawks are approximately the same shape and size as Mourning Doves, have gray backs, long tails, and I've watched them tackle and carry off birds that size.

Then THAT'S the answer!! I actually saw a sharp-shinned hawk a few weeks ago (first time I'd even seen one in our woods -- I was very pleased to be able to identify it). I didn't see this altercation until the two birds were "wrestling" in the snow and I'd have sworn it was one of the mourning doves atop the jay, but your theory makes much more sense. Whatever it was definitely carried the jaw off -- poor jay (and I don't love jays) dangling by its wing and squawking frantically. They both dropped into the snow (for a better grip?) a short ways from my garden, then took off again and only by chance (or an extreme fight by the jay or maybe, my frantic yelling??) did the jay get released. The jay flew back to our pine tree and seems fine. Is that possible? To get hauled off into the hair, hanging by one wing, and still live to tell about it?

Amazing! Just curious, how large a prey will a sharp-shinned hawk take on? What about a small cat? Do I need to worry now that I know there's a sharp-shinned in the area? (My cat goes out midday, never out for long ... maybe I'll keep him in?!)

Thanks so much for the information -- I am positive you are right. Now I feel guilty for blaming the doves... :(

I kinda wondered abt the carrying it away part. lol But I do know the doves will hit at other birds with their wings and such.

If the Blue Jay was injured it may be strong enough to recover, but while weak is at a disadvantage and might be targeted again. Blue Jays kill songbird fledglings and eat their eggs so I always root for the hawk.

A few years ago I followed a juvenile Cooper pursuing a Blue Jay through our woods. It kept getting away from the hawk and finally dove into deep snow under a log. The Cooper landed nearby so I left so I wouldn't disturb it. Later I returned to find the snow under the log churned around, and scattered Blue Jay feathers, giving me the impression the hawk had gone under the log after the Blue Jay.

My reading tells me that once a Hawk has attacked and injured, it will return and complete the deed, because it knows the odds are in it's favour.

Sharpie sure makes more sense than a Mourning Dove! Glad Rachel pinned it for you. I have seen Mourning Doves stand up to Blue Jays, Starlings, and Woodpeckers at feeders, but I could not fathom one carrying off a Blue Jay.

I was trying to find out if doves could or would attack and carry off another bird. I was in the backyard today when I heard what turned out to be a woodpecker squawking, and in the grasp of what I thought was a dove, which are always around the bird feeders. They flew within ten foot of me and then into the woods behind my house. It would make sense for it to be a small sharp shinned hawk, I will be on the lookout for them, I don't want them killing my songbirds off.
Thanks for the info from this posting and the replies.

Last month during deer season I heard horrible sounds coming through the trees and it was a bluejay attacking/killing/eating inflight a dove. In 14 years here in Vt. never seen such a thing and just saw it again this morning. I tried to separate them but the bluejay was flying off with the bloody and damaged/screaming dove. Not a good omen for Christmas eve.

I feed the birds every morning white crowned sparrow s and blue jays are present and an occasional mockingbird. But I have a pair of doves arrive and then they eat with the sparrows but when a blue jay arrives the doves go on the offense and attack the blue jay and make it leave the doves could finish and be lounging in the tree but if the blue jay tries to feed when the doves leave, the doves fly down and chase the blue jay away. I wonder why the doves let the sparrows eat with them but will attack the blue jay if it tries to land and eat..

Saw a large dove attack and kill a baby dove in the nest! is this common?