A Description of a Dove

Java and Ringneck Dove

• The white dove is most well-known for its use as a symbol for peace. This dove, also known as the java dove, has white feathers and an unpigmented eye. This bird is the white breed of the ringneck dove, which is about 12 inches in length on average and lives for 10 to 15 years. The ringneck dove only exists as a domesticated bird and is often a household pet.

Mourning Dove

• Mourning doves get their name from their song, which is a melancholic series of coos. This dove is medium-sized, with a length of between 9 and 13 inches. Male mourning doves are larger than females. These birds are mostly shades of brown, beige, tan and cream with grey tail feathers. Male mourning doves also have blue on their heads with pink on their chest feathers. Females build nests out of twigs high in trees and shrubs, and lay two eggs per clutch. Mourning doves can lay five or six clutches per year.

Common Ground Dove

• The common ground dove is the smallest species of dove in North America and is found mostly in the southern region of the continent. These birds have gray, white and black feathers, with red feathers that are revealed when they extend their wings. These doves prefer to make their home on the side of roads and near woodlands. Ground doves tend to flock and forage for grains and seeds together with other doves on the ground.

Other Doves

• There are 305 known species of doves worldwide. Their populations are more concentrated on the Asian and Australian continents. The earliest description of a dove appears in Egyptian hieroglyphs that date to 2600 B.C., according to Animal-World.com. Other kinds of dove are the diamond dove, Barbary dove, green wing dove, spotted dove and Senegal dove. Wild doves eat a varied diet of nuts and seeds, leaf and grass shoots, small fruit, grains, insects and spiders.