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Common Ground Dove

Columbina passerina

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernSeedsShrublandPlatform nestSmall · 35 g
Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina), photo 1
Photo: Alan Vernon · CC BY 2.0
Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina), photo 2
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0
Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina), photo 3
Photo: Henggang Cui · CC0
Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina), photo 4
Photo: Tom Kennedy · CC BY 4.0
Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina), photo 5
Photo: Reanne ("Bean") Dunn · CC BY 4.0
Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina), photo 6
Photo: Millie Basden · CC BY 4.0
Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina), photo 7
Photo: Millie Basden · CC BY 4.0
Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina), photo 8
Photo: Vincent A. Vos · CC BY 4.0
Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina), photo 9
Photo: Tom Kennedy · CC BY 4.0
Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina), photo 10
Photo: Grete Pasch · CC BY 4.0

ID tip

The common ground dove is North America's smallest and one of the world's smallest by mass. This species ranges from 15–18 cm (5.9–7.1 in) in length, spans 27 cm (11 in) across the wings, and weighs 26–40 g (0.92–1.41 oz). The common ground dove has a 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.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Common Ground Dove

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is April, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Common Ground Dove

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 45 countries with regular records, and 2 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

United States Mexico Puerto Rico Costa Rica Cuba Bahamas Colombia Guadeloupe Venezuela Dominican Republic Jamaica Honduras Cayman Islands Curaçao Aruba Bermuda Brazil Guatemala Belize Barbados Caribbean Netherlands Grenada Nicaragua Guyana Ecuador U.S. Virgin Islands Haiti Turks & Caicos Islands Antigua & Barbuda St. Lucia St. Vincent & Grenadines St. Kitts & Nevis French Guiana El Salvador Suriname Anguilla St. Martin Trinidad & Tobago Dominica British Virgin Islands Montserrat Martinique Panama St. Barthélemy Bolivia

Recorded as a rare visitor in Canada, Peru.

About the Common Ground Dove

The common ground dove is a small bird that inhabits the southern United States, parts of Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. It is considered to be the smallest dove that inhabits the United States. As its name suggests, the bird spends the majority of its time on the ground, but still is capable of volitation.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Inca Dove (Columbina inca) Inca DoveColumbina incaVoice: The song, a forceful cooing rendered variously as cowl-coo, POO-pup, or NO-hope, may be given from a tree, wire, or other open, high perch such as a television aerial. Ruddy Ground Dove (Columbina talpacoti) Ruddy Ground DoveColumbina talpacotiIt measures 12–18 cm (4.7–7.1 in) in length and weighs about 35–56 g (1.2–2.0 oz). Picui Ground Dove (Columbina picui) Picui Ground DoveColumbina picuiThe Picui ground dove is 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs 42 to 59 g (1.5 to 2.1 oz).

Side by side: Common Ground Dove vs Ruddy Ground Dove · Common Ground Dove vs Inca Dove · Common Ground Dove vs Crested Pigeon · Common Ground Dove vs Picui Ground Dove

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