Mourning Dove

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A bird common in the Los Angeles County Region of Southern California, frequently misplelled as "morning" dove.

indentify:

adults:


• both male and female, similar in appearance, range 9-11 inches in length.
• generally a medium sized dove with a very slender neck and a black bill. Pale buff-brown head, neck, breast, and belly.
• Necks sporting purple and green irridescence as well as small black "beauty"mark on lower neck.
• Medium brown back and upperwings, with large black spots on upperside of wing.
• Tailtips, at the end of a long, dark brown, pointy tail, are white to outer four tail feathers.

juvenile:


• Dark brown mottled head, neck and breast.
• Scaly neck and upperwings with numerous black spots onupperside of wings and scapulars.
• Pale belly.
• Medium length tail is pointed at tip, with very little white.

call:


• a low, gutteral "coo" sound.

Similar species:


• Long pointed tail is distinctive for adults, while black spotting on upperside of wing and pale color help distinguish it from White-winged Dove and White-tipped Dove.
• Juvenile is easily confused with Common Ground-Dove and Inca Dove, but is longer necked, shows a pointed tail with more white at edges and lacks cinnamon in primaries.

*certain information courtesy of www.laaudubon.com