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

Description 8" (20 cm). A tiny long-tailed dove with a scaly gray body and contrasting rufous in the wings.

Habitat Mesquite thickets or cacti in semiarid country; also parks, yards, and ranches.

Nesting 2 white eggs in a frail nest, usually of small twigs, placed low in a tree or bush.

Range Resident in southeastern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and southern Texas. Also in tropics.

Voice   A soft coo-coo or no-hope, often repeated.

Discussion This tiny bird is shaped much like a Common Ground-Dove except for its long pointed tail. Perhaps because both of these species are too small to be considered game, they show little fear of humans; the Inca Dove is so tame it nests in city parks and gardens.