Common ground dove

The common ground dove is a small bird that inhabits the southern United States, parts of Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. It is considered to be the smallest dove that inhabits the United States. As its name suggests, the bird spends the majority of its time on the ground walking but still has the ability to fly.

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Distribution

Region

Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America

Typical Environment

This species favors open, brushy habitats such as scrub, thorny thickets, woodland edges, coastal dunes, desert scrub, pastures, and agricultural margins. It is frequently seen along sandy tracks, roadsides, and disturbed clearings with sparse ground cover. It avoids dense forests but uses low shrubs and brush piles for cover and nesting. In suburban areas, it may visit yards and vacant lots with weedy seed sources.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1500 m

Climate Zone

Subtropical

Characteristics

Size15–18 cm

Wing Span27–32 cm

Male Weight0.037 kg

Female Weight0.034 kg

Life Expectancy5 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 3/5

Useful to know

The common ground dove is the smallest dove regularly found in the United States, often going unnoticed as it forages quietly on the ground. When flushed, it reveals rufous patches in the wings and flies low with rapid wingbeats before dropping back into cover. It commonly ingests small pebbles (grit) to help grind seeds in its gizzard.

Gallery

Common ground dove in Texas, 2005.

Behaviour

Temperament

quiet and inconspicuous

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats, low and direct

Social Behavior

Often seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups; larger loose aggregations may form at good feeding sites. Nests are flimsy platforms placed low in shrubs, cacti, or occasionally on the ground. Pairs typically raise multiple broods in warm climates.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Soft, repetitive cooing notes that carry only a short distance, often a low, mournful ‘coo-oo’ series. Calls include gentle clucks and coos given from low perches or while on the ground.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Common gull

The common gull is a medium-sized gull that breeds in cool temperate regions of the Palearctic from Iceland and Scotland east to Kamchatka in the Russian Far East. Most common gulls migrate further south in winter, reaching the Mediterranean Sea, the southern Caspian Sea, and the seas around China and Japan; northwest European populations are at least partly resident. The closely related short-billed gull was formerly often included in this species, which was then sometimes known collectively as "mew gull".

Common hawk-cuckoo

The common hawk-cuckoo, popularly known as the brainfever bird, is a medium-sized cuckoo resident in the Indian subcontinent. It bears a close resemblance to the shikra, even in its style of flying and landing on a perch. The resemblance to hawks gives this group the generic name of hawk-cuckoo; like many other cuckoos, these are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of babblers. During their breeding season in summer males produce loud, repetitive three-note calls that are well-rendered as brain-fever, the second note being longer and higher pitched. These notes rise to a crescendo before ending abruptly and repeat after a few minutes; the calling may go on through the day, well after dusk and before dawn.

Common hill myna

The common hill myna, sometimes spelled "mynah" and formerly simply known as the hill myna or myna bird, is the myna most commonly sighted in aviculture, where it is often simply referred to by the latter two names. It is a member of the starling family (Sturnidae), resident in hill regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia. The Sri Lanka hill myna, a former subspecies of G. religiosa, is now generally accepted as a separate species G. ptilogenys. The Nias hill myna are also widely accepted as specifically distinct, and many authors favor treating the southern hill myna from the Nilgiris and elsewhere in the Western Ghats of India as a separate species.

Common iora

The common iora is a small passerine bird found across the tropical Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with populations showing plumage variations, some of which are designated as subspecies. A species found in scrub and forest, it is easily detected from its loud whistles and the bright colours. During the breeding season, males display by fluffing up their feathers and spiral in the air appearing like a green, black, yellow, and white ball.

Common kestrel

The common kestrel, also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel or Old World kestrel, is a species of predatory bird belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. In the United Kingdom, where no other kestrel species commonly occurs, it is generally just called the "kestrel".