Mourning Dove (Carolina Dove, American Mourning Dove)

The Mourning Dove is a medium-sized, slender dove with a long, tapered tail, pinkish-fawn to grey-brown upperparts, and a gentle, melancholic cooing call. They are swift, agile fliers with a distinctive whistling wingbeat upon takeoff.

Soft silvery-gray to grayish-brown base color, featuring a distinct dark brown or blackish tip patch and clean pale margins.

Pennaceous vane structure with tightly interlocked barbs along most of the shaft, becoming slightly plumulaceous or frayed near the base.

Smooth, firm texture with a matte to slightly silky finish, providing aerodynamic rigidity along the outer vane edge.

Silvery-gray coloration paired with a dark brownish tip and a rigid, pale central rachis characteristic of medium columbid wing feathers.

Open country, urban areas, farms, prairies, roadside edges, and lightly wooded open woodlands.

Widespread across North America, ranging from southern Canada through the United States, Mexico, and into parts of Central America.

Serves as an important seed disperser and a primary prey species for various raptors and carnivorous mammals.

Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto), which tends to have paler, more uniform gray-buff wing feathers without the distinct dark tips.

Mourning Doves are one of the most widely distributed and abundant game birds in North America and can drink brackish or saline water without ill effects.

Good condition with minor wear and slight fraying at the base, overall intact barbs and a strong rachis.