Birds · Columbiformes · Columbidae

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The mourning dove, known in Spanish as huilota común and also called tórtola rabiche, torcaza or guilota, is a species of columbiform bird of the family Columbidae belonging to the genus Zenaida. It is native to the Americas. It is medium-sized, grey on the forehead and nape, greyish brown behind the neck and with metallic feathers shot with violet and bronze on both sides. Its underparts are slightly pink and vinaceous, as are the forehead, face and breast. Behind the eyes it has a small stripe. The tail is long, graduated and pointed. It has black spots on the wing coverts and near the ear openings. The tail feathers have black edges and white tips.

Weight

96 g – 170 g

Size

22 cm – 36 cm

Lifespan

19 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

It is at once one of the most abundant birds in North America, with some three hundred million individuals, and the most shot game bird on the continent: more than twenty million are taken a year without the population suffering.
It feeds its chicks on crop milk, a secretion rich in fat and protein that both parents produce in the lining of the crop, a trait unique to pigeons among birds.
It can drink by sucking with its bill submerged, without needing to raise its head to swallow as almost all birds do, which lets it drink in a few seconds and reduce its exposure to predators.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Farmland, grassland, crops, roadsides, parks and gardens of North America
Sexual maturity: 3 months
Gestation / incubation: 14 days
Litter / clutch size: 2

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenaida_macroura