Inca Dove: Gentle Desert Bird of the Americas

The Inca Dove, known as Columbina inca, is a beautiful bird found in the southwestern US, Mexico, and Central America. It’s a small, graceful bird with a unique scaly look and a gentle nature. Bird lovers adore it for these qualities.

These birds have made their home in cities and suburbs. You can see them in city parks and quiet gardens. They live well with people, which has made them more common.

The Inca Dove is very adaptable. As the climate changes, they move north more than ever before. They’re like the Toco Toucan, showing how nature can adjust to new conditions.

Inca Doves make dry areas feel peaceful with their soft sounds and looks. Let’s learn more about this amazing bird and why it’s special in the Americas.

Key Takeaways

• Inca Doves are native to the southwestern US, Mexico, and Central America
• They have adapted well to urban environments
• The species is known for its distinctive scaly pattern
• Inca Doves are expanding their range northward
• These birds can raise up to five broods in a single season
• The oldest known Inca Dove lived nearly 8 years in the wild

Introduction to the Inca Dove

The Inca Dove is a beautiful bird in the Columbidae family. It’s found in the Americas and is loved by bird lovers and nature fans. Known as Columbina inca, it’s a new world dove that has won many hearts.

Scientific Classification

The Inca Dove belongs to the Columbina genus. It’s related to other small doves. Its place in the columbidae family shows its unique traits.

Distribution and Range

Inca Doves live mainly in the southwestern U.S. and Central America. They’re moving north, with sightings in places like Colorado. These birds like open areas near people, so they’re often seen in cities and suburbs.

Physical Characteristics

They’re a bit bigger than the Common Ground-Dove but smaller than the Mourning Dove. The Inca Dove looks special with its scaly body. When they fly, they show off rich chestnut underwings and white outer tail feathers.

These birds like dry open places with some plants. They’re often seen in cities, parks, and farms. Their ability to live in changed landscapes has helped them spread and become more popular with bird watchers.

Habitat and Adaptation

Inca doves live in many dove habitats, showing how well they adapt to warm climates. They like open places with some plants, making farmlands, parks, and cities perfect for them. Over the years, they’ve moved north because of human changes to their homes.

In the southwestern United States, Inca doves do well in both wild and city areas. They often hang out in groups of up to 100 in deserts, scrublands, and farmlands, eating grass seeds. They like dry places with little vegetation, avoiding dense forests.

Inca doves are great at adjusting how they live. In winter, they form big groups, called communal huddles, with up to 10 birds or more. This helps them stay warm in the cold, showing how tough they are in different climates.

Now, cities are a big part of where Inca doves live. They’ve gotten used to city life, often nesting near people. Their nests are small, about 5 centimeters wide, and can be found in many places in cities and suburbs.

The Inca dove’s success in different places shows how well they adapt. As ground-dwelling doves, they’ve learned to live in changing environments. This has helped them spread out more across their territory.

Inca Dove: Distinctive Features and Appearance

The Inca Dove is a unique bird, part of the Columbina genus. It is small, like the Peruvian ground dove, but has its own charm. Bird lovers find these birds fascinating.

Size and Body Structure

Inca Doves are small, about 9-10 inches long. They have slender bodies and long tails, making them look graceful. Their size lets them move easily through thick plants.

Plumage and Coloration

These birds have pale brown feathers with white marks on their wings. When they fly, these marks turn into big white patches. Their underwings show a bright reddish color, making them stand out.

Unique Scaly Pattern

Inca Doves have a special scaly pattern. Each feather has dark brown edges, giving them a fish-scale look. This pattern helps them blend in with their surroundings.

Feeding Habits and Diet

Inca Doves love to eat seeds and live on a diet mainly of them. These ground doves find food in open places like parks, lawns, and gardens. They eat seeds from grasses, flowers, and shrubs, making them true seed-eating birds.

These birds often gather in groups of up to 55, looking for food near where they live. In the spring, they might also eat small bugs and fruits to add to their diet.

Inca Doves eat grit to help digest seeds. This is a common habit among birds that eat a lot of seeds. It helps them break down hard seed shells in their stomachs. Because they like seeds and can live in cities, they have spread their range to places like Colorado.

Behavioral Patterns

Inca Doves have interesting behaviors that make them stand out. They live from the southwestern U.S. to northern Costa Rica. These traits make them fascinating for bird lovers and scientists.

Social Behavior

Inca Doves are social, even though they are small. They often hang out in groups, big or small, especially in cities. They like places like the New Mexico State University campus and Welder Park Zoo in Texas.

One cool thing they do is pyramid roosting. They stack up on each other, forming a dove pyramid up to three birds high!

Daily Activities

Inca Doves are active during the day, especially in the morning and late afternoon. They spend a lot of time on the ground looking for small seeds. When they dig for food, they make small puffs of dust.

They use less energy outside of breeding seasons. This helps them survive.

Communication and Calls

Cooing birds like Inca Doves make different sounds. They have a “song,” “aggression call,” “courtship call,” and “alarm note.” Their sad coo is very recognizable. When they fly, they make a unique sound because of their feathers.

Breeding and Reproduction

Inca Doves, part of the incan columbidae family, have interesting ways of breeding. They form pairs that last for the whole breeding season. These pairs show a strong bond with each other.

The courtship ritual is quite a sight. Males show off their tails to attract females. This is how they start their family.

Once paired, these monogamous birds quickly start building their nests. The female starts building the nest soon after the courtship. The male guards her from other males.

These birds usually lay two eggs at a time. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs for about 14 days. The young birds leave the nest after 14-16 days but stay with their parents for another 5-7 days.

In warm winters, Inca Doves can raise up to 4-5 broods. This shows how well they can reproduce.

The breeding season is busy for these birds. Pairs defend their territory, which is about 0.2 to 0.5 hectares. This helps them have enough resources for their young. They are solitary breeders but still help grow their species.

Nesting Habits

Inca Doves, like other new world doves, have unique nesting habits. They build their nests in various places, showing how adaptable they are. This adaptability helps them thrive in different environments.

Nest Construction

Inca Doves make simple platform nests with twigs, grass, and leaves. Both males and females help build the nest. They often make several “false” nests before picking the final spot.

Nesting Locations

These doves like to nest near people. They choose spots 6-20 feet off the ground on things like trees, shrubs, poles, and buildings. Being close to humans means they can easily find water.

Incubation and Chick Rearing

Inca Doves lay 1-3 white eggs at a time. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs for 13-14 days. Once the eggs hatch, the chicks stay in the nest for 14-16 days before they start flying.

These birds are very good at raising their young. They often have 2-3 broods a year, sometimes even 4-5.

In Arizona, Inca Doves breed from January to November. This long breeding season lets them have many nesting attempts. This helps them do well in cities.

Conservation Status and Population Trends

The Inca dove is a fascinating bird that has shown great resilience. Its numbers have stayed steady or even grown in some places. From 1966 to 2015, its population in the U.S. grew by over 1.5% each year. This shows how well it can adapt to new environments.

Worldwide, there are about 3 million Inca doves. The U.S. is home to 33% of them, and Mexico has 61%. They have moved north and now live as far north as Colorado. This shows how well they can live in cities.

In Arkansas, the Inca dove’s story is quite interesting. They were first seen in 1968 and now live in at least 36 counties. They are moving into a new county every seven years, with new sightings every year.

The Inca dove’s home area is getting bigger, as seen in eBird data from 2019. They now live in most of Arkansas and parts of neighboring states. This shows how well they adapt to new places. Unlike some birds, the Inca dove is doing well and living with humans in the Americas.

Inca Doves in Urban Environments

Inca Doves are common in cities across the southwestern United States. These birds of the southwest have adjusted well to city life. They are often seen in parks, gardens, and backyards.

In recent years, Inca Doves have moved north, reaching as far as Colorado. This move is likely because of more people living in cities, creating homes for these doves. They are small, 16 to 23 centimeters long, and live in places like thickets, woodland edges, and savannas.

People living in cities can see Inca Doves all year. They like to visit bird feeders, eating black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, and nyjer seeds. They also make nests in trees, shrubs, utility poles, and even on houses.

Inca Doves have a special way of feeding their babies. Both parents make “pigeon milk,” which is not like mammal milk. This helps their babies survive in cities where food might be hard to find.

Even though they are small and calm, Inca Doves have a smart way to defend themselves. When they feel threatened, their red eyes glow brighter. This warns off predators. Their ability to adapt has helped them live in our cities.

Comparison with Other Dove Species

The Inca Dove is unique among native American birds. It stands out from other doves with its special traits. Let’s see how it compares to its relatives.

Rock Dove

Rock Doves, or pigeons, are bigger than Inca Doves. They live in cities, while Inca Doves prefer the suburbs. Inca Doves are about 8.5 inches tall, making them smaller and more delicate.

Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Collared Doves are new to North America. They’re larger and don’t have the scaly look. Inca Doves make a “No Hope” call, unlike the Eurasian’s cooing.

White-winged Dove

White-winged Doves are bigger and show white wing patches. In contrast, Inca Doves have bright copper wings. They also have a unique scaly look all over their body.

Mourning Dove

Mourning Doves are longer, about 11 inches, than Inca Doves at 8.5 inches. Inca Doves have rusty-red wings and a scaly look. Mourning Doves have a blue ring around their eyes and black spots on their back.

Inca Doves as Backyard Visitors

Inca Doves are becoming more common in backyards, bringing joy to those who love bird watching. They are small, measuring 6.5–9.1 inches long and weighing 1.1–2.0 oz. They are moving into new areas across the United States.

In Arkansas, they live all year round, moving into new areas every seven years. They usually come in small groups or pairs, looking for seeds and grains on the ground. Their unique look, with scales all over their body and tail, makes them stand out.

• Square tails
• Dark scaling pattern
• Cooing call: “whur-pu, whur-pu”
• Bright rusty-red primaries when flushed

To draw these lovely birds to your yard, try using feeders with seeds and grains. They like urban and suburban areas more than rural ones. With about 2 million of them now, their numbers are growing, despite some challenges like losing their homes.

By offering the right food and habitat, we can help protect these interesting doves. This way, we can enjoy their company in our outdoor spaces.

Conclusion

The Inca dove (Columbina inca) is a standout native American bird. It’s small, only 8 inches long with a 12-inch wingspan. Yet, it has made a big impact in the southwestern United States.

This bird lives in six states from southern California to southwestern Louisiana. In Texas, it’s a year-round resident, showing how well it adapts to different places.

Despite its size, the Inca dove is quite impressive. It can fly at 28 mph and has up to five broods a year. Both parents help with the eggs, showing their teamwork. Their nests, up to 20 feet high, are simple but strong, made from leaves and twigs.

Studies show that Inca doves face challenges in the wild. They have a survival rate of 0.35 and a recapture chance of 0.87. Adults weigh about 55.7 grams, a bit more than young ones. These facts tell us a lot about their life and how their population changes.