How to Identify aMourning Dove
Zenaida macroura · 9.1–13.4 in (23–34 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
Warm buff-brown with faint pink and a bluish-gray crown; small round head, black wing spots.
Female
Slightly browner and plainer than the male, otherwise very similar.
Male photo: JeffreyGammon / Wikimedia, CC BY 4.0 · Second photo: Ryan Hodnett / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Field marks
- Long, tapered, white-edged tail
- Scattered black spots on the folded wing
- Small head with a dark spot below the eye
- Whistling wing-sound on takeoff
Similar species
What it sounds like
A mournful, owl-like "coo-OO-oo-oo-oo" that people often mistake for an owl.
Behaviour that gives it away
Its wings produce a sharp whistling twitter on takeoff, which doubles as an alarm signal to the rest of the flock.
Habitat & range
Open country, farmland, suburbs, and feeders across nearly all of North America.
When you'll see it
Present all year in North America.
What it eats
Almost entirely seeds, gathered on the ground; often feeds beneath feeders.
Did you know?
The mournful "coo" that names the bird is often mistaken for an owl by first-time listeners.
Spot one yourself?
Point your camera at any bird and Aviarist identifies it in seconds — then logs it to your life list.
Get Aviarist on Google Play
More backyard birds
.jpg){kind=link}
Other apps we make
