PIGEONS, DOVES

Inca Dove, Columbina inca

Family Columbidae (Pigeons, Doves)

Size: 8.25"

Season: Year-round

Habitat: Dry, open woodlands; urban and agricultural areas

The Inca Dove is a small, squat, terrestrial bird with a long tail and short legs. It is pale, peachy-gray overall with a distinctive scaled appearance due to the dark outer margins of its feathers. The outer tail feathers are white. The short, rounded wings are rufous-brown tipped with black. This wing coloring is concealed in the folded wing but evident during flight or when it curiously lifts an extended wing skyward while on the ground. Juveniles are pale gray-brown overall with no dark scaling. Inca Doves forage on the ground for seeds, and their call is a repetitive, two-part cooing. The adult is illustrated.