Mourning Dove: how to recognise it
A bird of Europe, North America and Oceania. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Donna Pomeroy · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Zenaida macroura
- Family
- Pigeons and Doves
- Size
- About 30 cm
- Habitat
- Open country and towns
- Found in
- Europe, North America and Oceania
The key marks
Slim, with a long pointed tail edged in white, black spots on the wing and a pinkish-buff body. Collared Dove is larger, with a black neck collar and a square tail.
Voice
A sad 'coo-OO-oo-oo-oo'.
Good to know
Its wings whistle when it takes off.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Eurasian Collared-Dove. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in open country and towns. It is especially common in Arizona, the United States, Texas and California. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.