Overview
The common ground dove is North America's smallest dove and is one of the world's smallest by mass. They have yellow beak with a black tip. Feathers surrounding the beak are pink in colour. The feathers on the head and the upper breast have a scale like appearance. The tail feathers are very short and similar colour to the back. The plumage on the back of the bird is brown. The coverts and wing feathers are also brown but have black spotting on them. Has chestnut primaries and wing borders, which can only been seen when the bird is flying. They show some sexual dimorphism in their plumage. The males have slate gray feathers on the top of their heads and pink-gray colouration on their belly. Females on the other hand are more gray than their male counterparts and are more evenly coloured.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Bird
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Columbina
- Species
- passerina
Habitat
Lives in open areas that have trees and bushes. They are also found in forests with sandy areas, farmlands, and savannahs and near human infrastructure. Common ground doves seem to hold territories but they are rarely aggressive when dealing with intruders.
Diet
A ground gleaner; as such it forages on the ground feeding on vegetation, seeds and fruits. It can also feed on insects and will feed from bird feeders if available to them. They often eat while they are still moving and searching for other food items. It can suck water into their beak and swallow it by lifting their heads, which is a common feature shared with other members of its family.
Behavior
The call can be described as soft whoops that increase in pitch. Often the call is heard in repetition, and is quite distinct. To hear the call of the common ground dove see the external links for a link to a website.
Hunting
A bird hunted by pass shooting over agriculture fields or watering holes.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.