Minnesota Seasons - White-winged Dove

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy

Conservation Status

Photo by Earl Bye

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5 - Secure

Minnesota

not listed

Description

White-winged Dove is a medium sized, 10″ to 11½″ long bird with a wingspan of 19″ to 22¾″. It weighs 5 to 5.3 ounces. Males and females are similar in appearance and cannot be reliably distinguished in the field.

The head and back, are mostly brownish-gray. The rump is not white. The belly and undertail coverts are gray.

The top of the head, neck, and nape show some iridescent purple. The eyes have red irises and are surrounded with a pale blue eye ring. There is a long dark “ear spot” on the lower face.

The upper side of each wing is brownish-gray at the base, with very dark outer wing feathers. A bright, white, crescent-shaped patch separates the two areas. When perched, the wing patch is always visible as a ⅜″ (1 cm) wide strip on the lower edge of the wing. This is the feature that gives the dove its common name and distinguishes it from all other New World doves. There are no black spots on the wing. The underside of the wing is gray.

The tail is rounded. The upper side is brownish-gray in the center. The tail feathers are dark with a black subterminal band and a white terminal band. The underside of the tail is gray.

The legs and feet are pinkish-red.

Size

Total length: 10″ to 11½″

Wingspan: 19″ to 22¾″

Voice

The song is a few hooting notes reminiscent of the Barred Owl, who will cook for you.

Similar Species

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is slightly smaller. The tail is shorter and pointed, not squared. The wings do not have a white wing bar.

Habitat

Desert thickets, agricultural fields, residential areas in cities and towns

Ecology

Migration

Nesting

Food

Seeds and fruits of trees, grasses, and other plants, including agricultural crops and garden plants.

Distribution

Occurrence

Year-round resident in southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America. Rare and accidental visitor to Minnesota.

Maps

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

Taxonomy

Class

Aves (birds)

Order

Columbiformes (pigeons and doves)

Family

Columbidae (pigeons and doves)

Subfamily

Columbinae

Genus

Zenaida

Subfamily

The internal classification of the dove family Columbidae has a complex history. Genetic research, beginning with studies like Pereira et al. (2007), revealed that the traditional subfamilies were not monophyletic (did not represent true evolutionary lineages). This scientific finding led many major taxonomic sources to temporarily abandon the use of subfamilies entirely, listing the White-winged Dove simply under the family Columbidae and genus Zenaida.

However, recent and more detailed molecular work (2024–2025) has led to a revised classification. The Zenaida asiatica is now considered part of the newly defined subfamily Columbinae, which includes familiar species like the Rock Pigeon (Columba livia). This placement is part of a current proposed framework that recognizes four distinct subfamilies within the dove family.