Inca dove Columbina inca

Identification Tips:

• Length: 6.5 inches
• Sexes similar
• Adult similar to juvenile
• Small, slender dove
• Black bill
• Blue orbital ring
• Pale gray-brown body is darker on back and upperwings and is extensively scaly (including back and belly)
• Cinnamon inner webs of primaries visible in flight, and occasionally at rest
• Long tail slightly rounded at tip
• Tail is brown centrally, with black edges and white outermost tail feathers

Similar species:

Juvenile Mourning Doves are also long-tailed and scaly, but have dark spots on coverts, are never so extensively scaly and lack blue orbital ring and cinnamon primaries. Common Ground-Dove is similar but shorter-tailed, has dark spots on coverts and is only scaly about head and breast, never on back and belly.

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.