Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.9–7.1 in
15–18 cm - Wingspan
- 10.6 in
27 cm - Weight
- 1–1.4 oz
28–40 g
Other Names
- Colombe à queue noire (French)
- Columbina común, Palomito de suelos, rolita (Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic), tajosa (Cuba), Tórtola coquita (Mexico) (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Common Ground-Dove appears to hold permanent territories, but overt acts of aggression among territorial birds are relatively rare.
- The Common Ground-Dove stays with its mate throughout the year and between years.
Habitat
Scrub
Open country with trees and bushes, sandy reefs, open sandy areas in forest and savanna, cultivated lands, and around human habitation in villages and towns.
Food
Seeds
Mostly small weed and grass seeds, waste grains, small berries, insects, snail shells. Readily feeds at feeders.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–3 eggs
- Egg Description
- White.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless, with sparse tan down.
Nest Description
May nest on ground or in shrub. Ground nests may be just a few grasses, weeds, rootlets, palm fibers, or pine needles lining a slight depression. Above-ground nests thin frail structure, loose foundation of twigs or pine needles lined with rootlets and grasses.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
Feeds on ground.
Conservation
Least Concern
Generally common; may be declining in some areas and increasing in others. Listed in New Mexico as "Endangered" and in Alabama as a "species of special concern."
Credits
- Bowman, R. 2002. Common Ground-Dove (Columbina passerina). In The Birds of North America, No. 645 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.