Family: Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves view all from this family

Description 6 1/2" (17 cm). A sparrow-sized, short-tailed brown dove with much rufous in the wings. Tail dark with white corners.

Habitat Open areas such as fields, gardens, farmlands, and roadsides.

Nesting 2 white eggs in a nest on or close to the ground, often hidden in a tuft of grass or among weeds.

Range Resident in southern parts of California, Arizona, and Texas, and east to southern North Carolina.

Voice   Soft cooing notes, coo-oo, coo-oo, coo-oo, each with rising inflection.

Discussion The Common Ground-Dove flies fast, with its short wings beating rapidly, almost like those of a quail. When it walks, it nods like a pigeon. It searches for seeds on the ground but requires low brush for nesting and roosting. Most courtship behavior takes place on the ground, with the male pursuing the female, bobbing his expanded neck in rhythm with his monotonous cooing.