White-winged Dove
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Cuculiformes Family: Cuculidae Genus: Zenaida
Species: Zenaida asiatica
The White-winged Dove is among the bird species that have adapted to urban environments. Due to this flexibility, its population is steadily increasing despite previous habitat loss. Females lay 1-2 eggs per brood with 1-2 broods per year, and the parents feed their young crop milk, a substance that is secreted from the crop of both the male and female parent bird and that can be found in Doves, Pigeons, Emperor Penguins, and Flamingos. In the wild, the average lifespan for the White-winged Dove is 10-15 years, but the longest living wild specimen recorded lived to be over 21. This species is commonly hunted, and while the bag limit in Texas is lower than most other states, the annual take is larger than that of any state.
Conservation status: Least concern
Description: Greyish-brown above; black mark on the cheek; white wing patch
Length: 12 inches.
Wingspan: 19 inches.
Diet: Seeds, grains, and fruits.
Habitat: Parks, gardens, backyards, and woodland edges
Season: All year
Credit source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology
