• San Diego, California, USA

Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina)

6 ½” (16 cm)1 The common ground dove is a very small, sparrow-sized dove.3 It has a scaly breast, stubby black tail, and its rounded wings flash rufus in flight.1 The dove requires extensive open ground for foraging, so it inhabits open areas: principally orchards, nurseries, and rural ranchettes in San Diego County.4 The common ground dove began colonizing San…

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

ORDER: Columbiformes FAMILY: Columbidae The Mourning dove, named after its unique cooing call, is very common throughout San Diego County. It lives in the area year round and can usually be spotted on the ground, on telephone wires, and in flight. When Mourning doves take off, their wings produce a unique whistling sound. Their flight path is straight and once…