Inca Doves
Dove Information ... Dove Species ... Photo Gallery ... Doves & Pigeons: DVDs and Books for Dove & Pigeon Lovers
The Inca Dove (Columbina inca) is a small New World dove. Formerly classified under the genus Scardafella, recent genetic analyses indicate that both Scardafella doves belong with the other ground doves in the genus Columbina. It ranges from the southwestern United States and Mexico through Central America to Costa Rica. Despite being named after the Inca Empire, this species does not occur in any of the lands that constituted that region. Inca Doves are common to abundant within their range and they are expanding their range north and south.
Inca Doves reach a length of 16.5 cm (6.5-8.25 in) and weigh 47-48 g (1.6 oz). They are slender, with a gray-brown body covered in feathers that resemble a scaled pattern. The tail is long and square, edged with white feathers that may flare out in flight. In flight, the underwing is reddish, like other ground doves, and on takeoff, the wings produce a distinctive, quiet rattling noise.
This is a terrestrial species which occurs in flocks in open areas including scrub and cultivation. It will feed in urban areas, eating grass seeds and taking advantage of the ready availability of water from agricultural and suburban irrigation. The song, a forceful cooing rendered variously as "cowl-coo" or "POO-pup", may be given from a tree, wire, or other open, high perch such as a television aerial.
The flimsy twig nest is built 1-8 m high in a tree, often a thorny species, and two white eggs are the normal clutch.
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the It uses material from ... Additional information and photos added by Avianweb.
Related Web Resources: USGS ... whozoo.org
High Quality Species Photos, Videos and/or Articles Contributions are welcome! Click here to upload articles and images.
Please Note: The images on this page are the sole property of the photographers (unless marked as Public Domain). Please contact the photographers directly with respect to any copyright or licensing questions. Thank you.
The Avianweb strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however, mistakes do happen. If you would like to correct or update any of the information, please send us an e-mail. THANK YOU!
