White-tipped Dove

Most commonly found in South America, the White-tipped Dove is the single most numerous Dove species found throughout the Americas. Their northern range extends till Texas and Rio Grande Valley in North America, with their populations generally most concentrated in the warmer areas of the continent. Unlike many other Doves, these birds do not flock and instead choose to forage in pairs or alone.

About White-tipped Doves

They have been named after the simple but pretty patches of white that mark their heads and underparts. These colors delicately contrast with their dark wings, giving them an appearance that is quite different from the conventional Doves portrayed in the media. They are elusive birds that generally choose to walk through dense vegetations within woodlands, though they might fly away at low heights if they are greatly disturbed. This makes them rather unique, as their preference for walking on the ground over flying makes them stand out among other members of their genus.

White-tipped Doves are somewhat understudied due to their shifty personalities, but recent years have provided large amounts of insight into these secretive birds. From their nesting habits to their preferred range, we will be exploring the different facets that make these birds who they are.

● White-tipped Dove Photos, Color Pattern, Song
● White-tipped Dove Size, Eating Behavior, Habitat
● White-tipped Dove Range and Migration, Nesting

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White-tipped Dove Color Pattern

Birds of both sexes are mostly identical to each other, with only the most subtle differences visible in their plumage. The main difference is mostly visible through the intensity of the colors visible in their plumes. The upper parts, wings, and tail of individuals are mostly brownish olive to pale brown, with a pale forehead. Their crown and nape have an iridescent purple sheen, while their underwing coverts are a contrasting chestnut to rusty-red. White-tipped Dove’s chin and throat are a light, cream color that gradually turns into a light brown on their foreneck, breast, and sides. Their bellies are lighter and make way for their whitetail coverts. The bill of these light-hued birds is black.

In parts of their range, maroon encircles their eyes, but it’s blue in the other parts of their range. Their feet are red but may look purple-red. The tail has a black underside but most of the feathers have white tips, which is how they got their names. Juveniles are duller than adults, with dark irises, and dark back feathers. They have upper wing coverts with tips of white or cinnamon. These patterns sometimes give them a scaled appearance. The iridescent sheen on the nape and crown that is characteristic of adults is absent among the juveniles.

Description and Identification

These birds mainly live in wooded areas, remaining patches of wild, and wildlife refuges in the southern regions of Texas. They forage on the ground, so observers can catch a glimpse of these birds from a distance. They generally get startled and run away when intruders approach. However, you can see them at bird feeding stations in areas where seeds are all along the ground. Their quiet coo calls are also another way to identify these birds. Once you come within earshot of their calls, simply try to trace them back to their point of origin to catch a glimpse of these subtly patterned birds.

White-tipped Dove Song

White-tipped Doves do not have the most diverse vocal range. Both sexes make a 3-syllable coo that they repeat multiple times with intervals of 5–8 seconds between every call. You can hear it from a distance and it resembles a soft “wo-woo-ooo”. This sound is like someone blowing across the mouth of an empty bottle. On open grounds, these calls may be harder to hear as they become faint. In some parts of their range, namely the populations in southern Texas, the final notes of their calls have the greatest power and intensity in terms of volume.

Pairs duet during courtship, with males calling first before the females follow. Males will also give out a guttural, rough, and broken “prrr-prrr-p’p’p’prr-poooooo” during courtship before their courtship displays commence. Similarly, juveniles make an inconsistent and broken “coo”.

White-tipped Dove Size

These birds are around 9.8–12.2 inches in length, weighing approximately 3.5–8.1 ounces. They have small heads along with a short, rounded tail and relatively short legs. These proportions make them larger than Mourning Doves but smaller than Rock Pigeons.

White-tipped Dove Behavior

Unlike other species in their family, White-tipped Doves prefer to walk to places instead of flying. They forage on the ground and nod their heads as they walk. If disturbed, they will fly away from the threat while remaining low to the ground and taking long, swooping glides. They also fly short distances when they are flushed from the vegetation they surround themselves in, but they typically settle back on the ground shortly after.

Unlike many other Doves, they are solitary birds that mainly forage alone or in pairs. They might sometimes gather around water holes but otherwise choose to spend their time defending their own territories. Compared to other Doves, they can be quite aggressive when they are defending their territories, frequently chasing intruding Doves away if they get too close. Chasing generally involves the defending dove quickly walking at the intruder, with the latter moving away. This behavior means that physical contact during hostile situations is rare. These birds also show alarm by nodding their heads and slowly jerking their tails, either on the ground or from low branches.

These birds are seasonally monogamous, meaning that pairs maintain a single mate for the duration of the breeding season. Once the breeding season ends, they separate and maintain solitary lives before finding a new mate the following year. Breeding seasons commence with the initiation of the courtship behaviors; these behaviors include males bowing and cooing to females, before engaging in charging displays where the male repeatedly raises and lowers his head. Males conclude charging by chasing the females into the nest. Paired mates preen each other’s head and neck feathers, and frequently touch each their bills together.

White-tipped Dove Diet

Like other Doves and Pigeons, White-tipped Doves mainly feed on seeds, fruits, and insects. They forage through the vegetation on the ground while constantly bobbing their heads. While there have been relatively few documentations of the exact food they consume, fruits of Texas ebony, cedar elm, anacua (knock away), saffron plum, Texas nightshade, rouge plant, Texas prickly pear, southern hackberry (sugarberry), prickly pear cactus, and honey mesquite. Populations that reside within citrus groves also feed on the seeds of oranges and grapefruits. These birds are frequent visitors to feeding stations with milo, sorghum, sunflower, and corn as well. They may also consume some insects to maintain a sufficient amount of protein for the breeding seasons.

White-tipped Dove Habitat

These Doves live in the interior of native brush and woodlands, especially within areas with dense vines. Populations in southern Texas and northern Mexico live around plant species like sweet Acacia, Jerusalem thorn, Mexican Ash, Mexican Lead tree, Honey Mesquite, Black Willow, and Spiny Hackberry. They also eat Southern Hackberry (sugarberry), Edwards’s Bluewood, Texas lignum-vitae, Texas live Oak, Cedar Elm, Texas Ebony, and Texas Palm. Due to growing trends in developmental projects, these birds have also taken to citrus groves and some well-wooded suburban areas as well.

Populations at the southern parts of their range live in many types of dry second-growth forests, brushy and open woodlands, and in many kinds of agricultural areas like orchards, coffee farms, banana plantations, and gardens. Although they can occur in elevations as high as 10,500 feet above sea level, they tend to avoid the deep interiors of
forests and prefer the fringes.

Range and Migration

These birds live along the southern regions of North America and throughout most of South America. They breed in areas that range from southernmost Texas and the coasts of Mexico, through Central America, into Venezuela, Peru, all the way to Argentina in the south. These birds also breed in the Caribbean Islands of Trinidad and Tobago and the Netherlands Antilles.

White-tipped Dove Lifecycle

During the breeding seasons, females lay 2 pale buff eggs. Both parents take part in incubating the eggs for about 14 days. When the eggs hatch, the chicks emerge completely featherless in a helpless state. Both parents feed their young until they are adults. After the birds mature, they may remain in the areas that they hatched for longer periods of time.

Nesting

Nest sites are placed in a forked branch of a tree, anywhere between 5–12 feet above the ground. The trees that they nest in are generally species of Texas ebony, anacua, or spiny hackberry. Both members of the pair construct the nest, with males mainly bringing in the material and females weaving and arranging them. The resulting nests are bulky structures with shallow bowls that are made of twigs, measuring around 6 inches across and 3.5 inches tall.

Anatomy of a White-tipped Dove

These birds are around 9.8–12.2 inches in length, weighing approximately 3.5-8.1 ounces. They have small heads along with a short, rounded tail and relatively short legs. These proportions make them larger than Mourning Doves but smaller than Rock Pigeons.

Final Thoughts

These birds are abundant throughout the Americas, boasting a large range that covers much of both the northern and southern continents. However, recent surveys have suggested that factors like habitat destruction and hunting have had a disproportionate impact on the numbers of these birds. Although they are considered to be species of low conservation concern, insufficient data on their total numbers tell a different story about the ambiguity surrounding their true status. Populations that reside in southern Texas and Mexico have lost over 95% of their natural habitats, with no clear sign of this trend reducing anytime soon.

Most Dove species are easily overlooked, mainly due to their plain appearances and demeanors. However, like many other Columbidae birds, their numbers can often indicate the health of their surrounding habitats. When these birds thrive, it means that the woodlands that host them are also thriving. An abundance of food keeps their numbers stable, and thereby attracts other predators that continue the food chain. Their adaptive tendencies sustain them, with recent years witnessing more and more urban settlements welcoming them. If you live around the area, you could try scattering small seeds on the ground or a low platform feeder, and you might be greeted by these shy and peculiar Doves in your very own backyard!

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At the Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for IdentifyingWhite-tipped Doves

The most common types of bird watching binoculars for viewing White-tipped Doves are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

White-tipped Dove Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the White-tipped Dove. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders ForWhite-tipped Doves

There are many types of bird feeders. Bird feeders are a great addition to your backyard. Bird feeders will increase the chances of attracting birds drastically. Both kids and adults will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. There are a wide variety of bird feeders on the market and it is important to find the best fit for you and your backyard.

Bird HousesForWhite-tipped Doves

There are many types of bird houses. Building a bird house is always fun but can be frustrating. Getting a bird house for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. If you spend a little extra money on bird houses, it will be well worth every penny and they’ll look great.