Species · GBIF taxon 2495869
Common Ground Dove
Columbina passerinaAlso known as Ground Dove, Tobacco Dove, Passerine Ground-Dove
Common ground doves are diminutive, dusty-pink birds that forage in pairs or small groups, walking with a characteristic head-bobbing motion. When startled, they take flight with a sudden, loud flutter of wings that reveals bright rufous underwing patches. Their soft, rising whoop calls are a constant soundtrack in sandy coastal scrub and open agricultural fields.
TerrestrialDiminutiveGranivorous
Licensed referenceJeffreyGammon / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
- diet
- Seeds, small berries, and occasional insects
- family
- Columbidae
- threats
- Habitat loss, domestic cat predation, and pesticide exposure
- life Span
- 2 to 3 years in the wild
LC
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- Watch the Ground: Look for them walking along sandy paths or dusty roadsides where they forage for seeds.
- Listen for Calls: Identify their presence by their soft, monotonous, upward-slurring woot or whoop calls.
- Provide Cover: Attract them to yards by maintaining low-growing native shrubs and brush piles for safety.