White-winged dove

Scientific name: Zenaida asiatica

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Medium-sized dove with pale gray-brown plumage, distinctive white patches on the wings visible in flight, and a blue orbital ring around the eye. Males are slightly larger and may show more iridescent neck coloring than females.

Size and weight

Weight: 0.14–0.19 kg; length: 24–29 cm. Males average slightly heavier than females.

Habitat

White-winged doves inhabit arid and semi-arid regions with scattered trees, shrubs, and open woodlands. They favor mesquite groves, desert washes, agricultural areas, and suburban gardens from sea level to 2,000 m elevation.

Distribution

Range spans the southwestern United States from California and Arizona through Texas, into Mexico and Central America. Populations are expanding northward into the southern Great Plains.

Diet

Primarily seeds from mesquite, sunflowers, and agricultural grains; also forages on the ground for fallen seeds and occasionally insects.

Behaviour

Diurnal and crepuscular; most active during early morning and late afternoon. Highly gregarious, often found in flocks; strong, fast fliers with a distinctive whistled coo-coo-coo call.

Hunting tips

Scout water sources and grain fields where birds concentrate to drink and feed at dawn and dusk. Approach from downwind using brush and terrain for cover; pass-shooting in open areas requires leading birds 1–2 meters ahead due to their swift flight. Listen for their loud, repetitive calls to locate roosting and feeding areas.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 7 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.