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Birds of Zihuatanejo

CLASS AVES

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Birds (Class Aves)

-Pigeons and Doves (Order Columbiformes)

-Pigeons and Doves (Family Columbidae)

-Zenaida Doves (Genus Zenaida)

-White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)


White-winged Doves are large, pigeon-like doves. Adult birds are brownish-gray above and gray below. At rest, the wing patch appears to be a white bar on the leading edge of the folded wing. White-wing Doves have a square tail with a broad white band across the tip. White-winged Doves inhabit brushlands and woodlands or desert scrub and cacti, as well as agricultural fields and residential areas throughout their range. White-winged Doves feed on a variety of seeds, grain, and fruit that vary depending on their range and seasonal availability.

White-winged Dove

Zenaida asiatica

Diet

  • Primarily seeds and grains, including those of grasses, weeds, agricultural crops, and desert plants.

  • Also feeds on fruits, berries, cactus fruits (especially prickly pear), nectar, buds, and occasionally small insects.

  • Forages mainly on the ground in open areas but also feeds in trees and flowering plants.

Range

  • Found from the southwestern United States through Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and into northwestern South America.

  • Widespread throughout Mexico, including the Zihuatanejo region, where it is a very common year-round resident.

  • Inhabits tropical dry forests, thorn scrub, woodland edges, deserts, agricultural land, parks, gardens, mangroves, and suburban areas, generally from sea level to about 2,500 m.

Male / Female

  • Male: Grey-brown plumage with a subtle pinkish wash on the breast, striking white wing patches visible both at rest and in flight, bright blue bare skin around the eyes, and a black patch on the cheek. Slightly larger and often more colourful than the female.

  • Female: Very similar in appearance but generally duller, with less pronounced pink on the breast and a slightly smaller body.

  • Juveniles: Duller brown overall with reduced blue eye skin and less distinct wing markings.

  • Sexes cannot be reliably distinguished in the field except by subtle size and colour differences.

Size

  • Length: 26–31 cm (10.2–12.2 in)

  • Wingspan: 43–56 cm (17–22 in)

  • Weight: 120–170 g (4.2–6.0 oz)

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