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Common Ground Dove
Columbina passerina
At a Glance
Quiet and unobtrusive, the little ground dove walks on the ground in open bushy places in the southern states. If it is startled, it flies up into the brush with a fluttering rattle, showing a short black tail and a flash of rusty-red in the wings. The male may repeat his short cooing song incessantly, even in the heat of the day.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Pigeon-like Birds, Pigeons and Doves
Conservation
Low Concern
Habitat
Desert and Arid Habitats, Fields, Meadows, and Grasslands, Forests and Woodlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets
Region
California, Florida, Mid Atlantic, Plains, Southeast, Southwest, Texas
Behavior
Direct Flight
Population
36.000.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Permanent resident in most areas, but in parts of the southwest it is much more common in summer, suggesting a regular migration to the south.
Description
6 1/2" (17 cm). Small and short-tailed, with a scaly pattern on chest and head. Base of bill pink. In flight, the wings show bright rusty red and the short black tail shows pale corners. See juvenile Mourning Dove, which has scaly pattern and may be short-tailed at first. Wings make a soft rattling sound on takeoff.
Size
About the size of a Robin, About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Black, Brown, Gray, Pink, Red
Wing Shape
Rounded, Short
Tail Shape
Rounded, Short, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Soft cooing notes, coo-oo, coo-oo, coo-oo, each with rising inflection.
Call Pattern
Rising
Call Type
Hoot
Habitat
Farms, orchards, wood edges, roadsides. Mostly in semi-open habitats with low brush and grass. In the southeast, found mostly in brushy fields, understory of open pine woods, forest edges. In southwest, occurs in similar habitats including orchards, ranch yards, mesquite thickets along streams.
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Behavior
Eggs
2, sometimes 3. White. Incubation is by both parents, 12-14 days.
Young
Both parents presumed to feed young "pigeon milk." Young leave nest after 11-12 days or more. 2-3 broods per year, sometimes 4.
Feeding Behavior
Forages mostly on the ground, walking about and picking up seeds. Often forages in pairs, sometimes in small flocks; may associate with Inca Doves where their habitats overlap. Will come to bird feeders for seeds, especially in the southeast.
Diet
Mostly seeds. Feeds on a wide variety of seeds, especially those of grasses and weeds, also waste grain in farm fields. Also eats small fruits and berries, and reportedly eats some insects.
Nesting
In courtship, male struts with stiff steps, chest puffed out and head bowed, while cooing. Several males may compete for attentions of one female. Members of mated pairs often perch very close together, and may preen each other's feathers. Nest site varies, may be on ground, or in shrubs or low trees up to 25' above ground; usually 3-12' up on horizontal fork of branch. Nest (probably built by both sexes) is flat, flimsy platform of sticks.
Climate Vulnerability
Conservation Status
In recent decades has declined seriously in many areas, especially in the southeast. Reasons are not well understood.
Climate Threats Facing the Common Ground Dove
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.