Mourning Dove

The Mourning Dove is a slender, medium-sized bird with a long, tapered tail. Its plumage is generally sandy brown to buff with black spots on the wings. When flushed, their wings make a distinctive whistling sound. The tail feathers, like this one, create a white-edged 'V' or fan when spread in flight.

Tri-colored pattern: a Slate-gray lower half separated from a white or light-gray distal tip by a distinct, wide black subterminal band. The dorsal side is more vibrant than the ventral (underside).

Tightly interlocked pennaceous barbs throughout most of the vane for structural integrity during flight; soft, plumulaceous (downy) barbs at the very base near the calamus.

Smooth, matte, and slightly silky to the touch. The feather is semi-flexible but retains its shape well, typical of birds that require sudden bursts of speed.

White or pale gray tip and a bold black subterminal band on a slender, elongated gray rectrix.

Extremely versatile: found in open woodlands, prairies, agricultural fields, suburban gardens, and urban parks. Avoids deep, unbroken forests.

Year-round resident across most of North America, from southern Canada to central Mexico. Northern populations migrate to the southern US and Central America for winter.

Primarily a granivore (seed-eater), playing a role in seed dispersal. They are a vital prey species for hawks and falcons.

Eurasian Collared-Dove (feather is broader and the white tip is less distinct), White-winged Dove (has a much larger white patch and shorter tail).

Mourning Doves are one of the most hunted game birds in North America, yet their population remains stable due to prolific breeding, sometimes raising up to six broods in a single year.

Good to Fair. There is some minor fraying ('zapping') along the trailing edge of the tip, likely due to natural wear or impact during molt.