Mourning Dove (Carolina Dove, American Mourning Dove)

The Mourning Dove is a medium-sized, slender-tailed dove with a graceful, small head and a soothing, mournful cooing call. Its plumage is generally a delicate light grayish-brown, often showing iridescent pinkish-bronze highlights on the neck.

Uniform soft grayish-blue to brownish-gray coloration, typical of the muted, powdery tones found on the breast of a Mourning Dove.

Semiplume to plumulaceous transition with a delicate, loose barb structure. Lacks tightly interlocked barbicels across most of the web, giving it a fluffy appearance.

Soft, fluffy, and silky to the touch with a matte appearance, lacking any oily sheen.

Soft grayish-blue color, small size, delicate structure, and loose, fluffy barbs characteristic of a dove's breast contour feather.

Open country, scattered trees, farmyards, suburban areas, prairies, and forest edges, avoiding dense forests and wetlands.

Widespread throughout 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, Rock Pigeon. Distinguished by smaller size and lighter, more delicate grayish-blue tones.

Mourning doves are one of the most widely distributed and abundant birds in North America and are capable of drinking water by sucking it up rather than tilting their head back like most birds.

Good condition, intact structure with minimal wear, no visible fault bars or parasitic damage.