White-winged dove

The White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) is a dove whose native range extends from the south-western USA through Mexico and the Caribbean. It has also been introduced to Florida.

The White-winged Dove is expanding outside of its historic range into Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and northern New Mexico.[1] Unlike most of the White-winged Doves in Texas, the doves in these regions do not migrate in winter.

The rock singer Stevie Nicks, a native of Arizona, where the bird is most common in the USA, mentions the White-winged Dove and its call prominently in her 1981 hit "Edge of Seventeen".

Description

White-winged Doves are large, chunky pigeons at 29 cm. They are brownish-gray above and gray below, with a bold white wing patch that appears as a brilliant white crescent in flight and is also visible at rest. Adults have a patch of blue, featherless skin around each eye and a long, dark mark on the lower face. Their eyes, legs, and feet are red.

The sexes are similar, but juveniles are grayer than adults. They have no blue eye ring and their legs and feet are brownish pink.

The cooing calls are who-cooks-for-you and hoo hoo hoo.

Ecology

Most populations of White-winged Doves are migratory, wintering in Mexico and Central America. The White-winged Dove inhabits scrub, woodlands, desert, and cultivated areas. It builds a flimsy stick nest in a tree and lays two cream-colored to white, unmarked eggs. Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and occasional sharp flick of the wings that are characteristic of pigeons in general.

White-winged Doves feed on a variety of seeds, grains, and fruits. Western White-winged Doves (Zenaida asiatica mearnsii) migrate into the Sonoran Desert to breed during the hottest time of the year because they feed on pollen and nectar, and later on the fruits and seeds of the Saguaro cactus. This gregarious species can be an agricultural pest, descending on grain crops in large flocks. It is also a popular gamebird in areas of high population.

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Zenaida asiatica. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 9 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern.
• "National Geographic" Field Guide to the Birds of North America ISBN 0-7922-6877-6
• Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 4, Josep del Hoyo editor, ISBN 84-87334-22-9
• "National Audubon Society" The Sibley Guide to Birds, by David Allen Sibley, ISBN 0-679-45122-6

External links

• White-winged Dove Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• White-winged Dove - Zenaida asiatica - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
• White-winged Dove Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
• Stamps (for Belize, Cayman Islands, Honduras, Mexico, and United States)
• White-winged Dove photo gallery VIREO-(picture of nest and egg clutch)
• White-winged Dove videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• White-winged Dove videos (Tree of Life)
• Raven, the Hand-Fed Dove (A true story)

Categories: IUCN Red List least concern species | Zenaida | Birds of Mexico | Birds of Baja Peninsula Mexico | Birds of Central America | Birds of the Yucatán Peninsula region | Native birds of the Southwestern United States | Native birds of the Southeastern United States | Birds of the United States | Fauna of the Lower Colorado River Valley | Birds of the U.S. Rio Grande Valleys | Birds of Belize | Birds of Honduras | Birds of the Caribbean | Birds of Puerto Rico | Birds of the Greater Antilles | Birds of the Cayman Islands | Birds of the British Virgin Islands | Birds of the United States Virgin Islands | North American migratory birds