I know:) I have three in my yard that chase each other and splash in the birdbath.

aren't they pretty!! True that they are they only birds that can swallow water without tipping their heads back? I had heard it true awhile back & it appears that way when I watch them in the bird baths.

Having dove hunting season here right now ... what do the hunters do with them ,,, eat them?

I read that they drink by using suction (like hummingbirds) and that they feed their young a chewed up paste called crop milk. I never knew there was a dove hunting season. I guess they are eaten. I can only imagine how people cook them. Maybe like pheasants?

most of the meat on a dove is the breast. they cut off the breast and throw the rest out. then its either sauted in a sauce or fried or breaded and baked Dad would tell us kids if you are going to hunt doves make sure you shoot them in the head or neck or you will just waste the meat.

A point about drinking. I haven't watched doves close up like I can the hummingbirds drinking from the hummzinger feeder outside my kitchen window. They do not use suction but lap up the nectar. It looks like a dog's tongue in action. Here's a link to video that will show you what I mean: High-Speed Video Shows How Hummingbirds Really Drink

Holy cow I didn't know their tongues were that long! I guess I don't have to worry about them getting the last bit of fluid in the feeders. Thanks for the info