Discover 8 Doves in Arizona (Identification with Pictures)

After Hawaii, Michigan, Florida, and Colorado, Arizona is also home to a variety of beautiful dove species. They can be found throughout the state’s diverse habitats.

From the mourning doves to the distinctive markings of the Eurasian Collared dove, these peaceful birds are a joy to observe and learn about.

In this blog post, we will explore the 8 types of doves in Arizona, their characteristics, habitat, diet, Identity, and also location. 

How many types of doves are in Arizona?

There are 8 types of Doves in Arizona. Here is the complete list:

• Mourning Dove
• White-winged Dove
• Common Ground-Dove
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Rock Pigeon
• Band-tailed Pigeon
• Inca Dove
• Ruddy Ground-Dove

Whether you are a bird lover or photographer or just curious to know about Arizona’s natural wonders join us. We will discover the fascinating world of doves in Arizona. 

1. Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove is the most common dove in Arizona as well as in other parts of America.

Mourning Dove is commonly seen in telephone wires and forage for seeds on the ground. This dove has a slender tail, a small head, black eyes, and a black small beak. 

Mourning Dove can grow up to 9-13 inches in length with a wingspan of 15-18 inches. 

Mourning Doves eat corn, millet, buckwheat, Rye, pine nuts, foxtail, peanuts, canary grass, wheat, sunflower seeds, rapeseed, etc. In winter, they mostly eat foxtail millet and corn. 

This dove has a long tail, short legs, overall greyish-brown color body, with black spots on the wings. They are absolutely looking very beautiful when they are in a grooming position. 

Mourning Dove’s main habitats include bare ground, telephone wires, and trees. They make nests on trees with small straws. 

How to Identify:

Mourning Doves are common dove species found in North America’s different states. You can easily identify these birds by their color, size, and call. 

Size and Shape: Mourning Doves are medium size birds. They can grow up to 9-12 inches in length with a wingspan of 17-19 inches. They have plump, small heads, rounded bodies, and long tails.

Color: Mourning Doves have a light grey-brown body with a darker head and neck. They have a small black mark on their face below the eye. Their wings have black spots and a white edge. 

Call: Mourning Doves have a distinctive cooing call that sounds like “coo-OO-oo-oo”.

Related: Doves in Michigan

2. White-winged dove

White-winged Dove is a medium-sized dove with a short and small head. They have pale brown bodies with a white stripe along their wings.

This species of dove is larger than a Mourning Dove.

White-winged Doves are brown overall. They have a white long stripe on their wings, it looks more clear when they are flying.

They have blue skin around their eyes. One interesting thing about these birds is they have red eyes. 

White-winged Doves forage on grain and seeds on the ground. One interesting behavior of this bird is gathering in huge flocks. Their calls sound like “whoo-OOO-oo, 000-00“. 

They always prefer riverwoods, groves, farmland, suburbs, and trees in grassland. 

White-winged Doves feed on seeds, agave, ocotillo, fruit, etc. 

Related: Doves in Colorado

3. Common Ground-Dove

The Common Ground-Dove is a small type of bird found in Arizona, as well as in other parts of the country.

Common Ground-Dove is brownish grey overall with subdued dusty color feathers. 

Their colours are very similar to the ground that why sometimes you can’t spot them when they feed on the ground. 

Common Ground Doves are common birds in Florida and Arizona. Just offer them sunflower seeds, other seeds, and corn, and provide them dense trees for nesting, they spend more time in your backyard. They nest on the ground. 

Related: Doves in Hawaii

4. Eurasian Collared-Dove: 

The Eurasian collared dove is not a native bird of North America. It was introduced into the Bahamas in the 1970s after the 1980s it spread throughout North America. 

Eurasian Collared-Dove’s main habitats include bare ground, telephone wires, and trees like the Mourning Dove. They make nests on trees with small straws. 

This common breeding bird is very difficult to identify. If you see this bird from behind, you can’t identify this bird whether it is Eurasian Collared-Dove or it’s a Mourning Dove.

They have a black half-collar on the neck that’s why they are very difficult to identify. 

You can easily attract these birds with offers of sunflower seeds, other seeds, and corn, and provide them with dense trees for nesting, so they spend more time in your backyard.

5. Rock Dove: 

Rock Pigeons are highly common doves in Arizona. This dove is large in size that’s why everyone called them a “Pigeon“.

They are gathering in huge flocks like a mourning dove. Rock Pigeons were introduced by European Settlers in the Early 17th Century. 

You can find this bird anywhere in the world. This bird species is one of the most common dove species in the world. 

The Rock Pigeons love to eat corn, seeds, wheat, and scraps of food that are discarded by humans. This pigeon is not native to Florida. 

Rock Pigeons have a good relationship with humans. You can easily attract these birds with offers of sunflower seeds, other seeds, and corn, and provide them with dense trees for nesting, so they spend more time in your backyard.

If you saw in a TV or movie some birds carrying human messages? Yes, Those birds are Rock Pigeons. This bird is highly intelligent and has special bonds with humans. 

How to Identify:

you can easily identify this dove by its size and shape, colour, and calls. 

Size and Shape: Rock Pigeons are medium-sized birds. This dove can grow up to 11-14 inches in length with a wingspan of 23-26 inches. They have plump, rounded bodies, short necks, and small heads.

Color: Rock Pigeons have a grey-blue head, neck, and breast with feathers on their necks. Their wings are grey with two black bars, and they have a dark tail with a white band. Their feet are reddish-pink.

Call: Rock Pigeons have a distinctive cooing call that sounds like “coo-COO-coo.”

6. Band-tailed Pigeon: 

Band-tailed Pigeon is a beautiful dove species found in Arizona as well as other parts of the country. These doves spend most of their time in large groups with hundreds of birds. 

These are the common types of doves in Colorado. In Arizona, this species of bird is found in mixed forests.

But they also found in wooded suburban areas. Just like other doves, these doves also eat various seeds and fruit. 

If you want to listen to their sound, you can rarely listen to their sound because most of the time these dove species spend their time at the top of the large trees. 

Male band-tailed Pigeon produce soft, deep, slow coos like an owl hooting.  

7. Inca Dove:

Inca doves are a small species of dove that are found in parts of the southwestern United States, including Arizona. They are typically found in deserts, grasslands, and agricultural fields.

According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Inca dove is a common species in the state, and its population appears to be stable.

However, population estimates can vary depending on the time of year and location. Inca doves are not migratory.

They can be seen in Arizona year-round. they are often found in small flocks and feed primarily on seeds and grains. Their sounds are like low-pitched cooing.

8. Ruddy Ground-Dove

Ruddy ground doves are a small species of dove found in Arizona and other parts of South America. They are considered a rare species in Arizona.

Ruddy ground doves are not a common species in the state. According to the Arizona Bird Committee, there have been approximately 10 confirmed sightings of ruddy ground doves in Arizona since 1950.

Ruddy ground doves prefer dry, open habitats including agricultural fields and grasslands. They are found in pairs or small flocks. They are often seen foraging on the ground for seeds and small insects.

People Also Ask:

You can find all the questions answered regarding “Doves in Arizona” that people ask on Google. Here are the questions and answers:

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Arizona’s dove species are Amazing. Observing their behaviors, and beautiful colors and listening to their peaceful calls can be a relaxing experience. So, connect with us to explore more birds, doves, herons, hawks, and owls found all over America’s different states.