Mourning Dove (Carolina Dove, Rain Crow)

The Mourning Dove is a slender, medium-sized dove with a graceful long tail and small head. Known for its gentle demeanor and soft, mournful cooing calls, it is one of the most abundant and widespread birds across North America.

Soft grayish-brown or pinkish-buff coloration typical of mourning dove plumage, featuring a pale silvery-gray fringe or tip with a subtle dark subterminal zone.

Tightly interlocked pennaceous vane at the upper visible portion transitioning to a soft, fluffy plumulaceous base with barbules and hooklets. Intact condition with no major fraying.

Silky and smooth near the tip with a soft, downy base. Matte surface appearance with no high gloss or iridescence.

Soft grayish-pink to buff-brown tones with a distinct pale fringe at the rounded tip and a delicate, slender white rachis.

Open country, urban areas, farms, prairies, and open woodlands, avoiding dense forests.

Widespread across North America, ranging from southern Canada through the United States, Mexico, and into Central America, as well as the Greater Antilles.

Serves as an important seed disperser and a primary food source for numerous raptors and mammalian predators.

Eurasian Collared-Dove (Columba decaocto) and White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica), which tend to be larger or have distinctly different tail and wing markings.

Mourning doves are capable of drinking water without lifting their heads, acting like a straw. They are also known for their strong, fast flight accompanied by a whistling sound produced by their wings.

Good condition, clean, fresh appearance with intact barbs and no visible damage or parasite wear.