Photo: Aitor / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Pigeons & Doves

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) — Pigeons & Doves of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Canada Birds of the United Kingdom Birds of the United States Birds of Alberta Birds of British Columbia Birds of Manitoba Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Northwest Territories

By family

Pigeons & Doves of Canada Pigeons & Doves of the United Kingdom Pigeons & Doves of the United States

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The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 119 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae Pigeons, Doves
Genus Zenaida
Species macroura

Where it lives

Widespread

Quick facts

Weight: 119 g
Diet: Seed-eaters
Family: Columbidae
Order: Columbiformes
Habitat: Urban & human-modified

How to identify

Main colours Brown Buff Grey

Male vs female

Male is slightly brighter, with a bluish-gray crown and vivid pinkish-purple iridescent patches on the sides of the neck; female is browner and plainer, with the neck iridescence nearly absent.

Juvenile appearance

Darker with a scaly-looking pattern from pale-edged feathers.

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Mourning Dove is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.

Behaviour

A bird of farmland, parks and gardens, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Mourning Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a species of bird in the Columbidae family, part of the order Columbiformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA widespread.

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 119 g, with a wing length of about 14.4 cm and a tail of around 12.2 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 11.1 million km² — a very large global range.

Songs & calls

Mourning Dove — Song

Recorded by Jim Berry Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Mourning Dove?

The Mourning Dove is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 119 g.

Where does the Mourning Dove live?

The Mourning Dove is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA widespread, where it adapts readily to towns, parks and gardens.

What family does the Mourning Dove belong to?

The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.

What does the Mourning Dove eat?

The Mourning Dove is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.

Does the Mourning Dove migrate?

The Mourning Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Mourning Dove endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Mourning Dove make?

1 real field recording of the Mourning Dove — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Mourning Dove's range?

The Mourning Dove has a mapped global range of about 11.1 million km².