Doves of South Carolina

Mourning Dove

Description:

• Length: 10.5 inches
• Sexes similar
• Medium-sized, slender with very thin neck
• Black bill
• Feeds on grass seed and waste grain
• Distinct pointed tail

Distribution: Statewide most abundant in agricultural settings.

Legal Status: Game Bird: Seasons set annually. Daily aggregate bag limit for mourning doves and white-winged doves is 15.

White-winged dove:

Description:

• Length: 10 inches
• Sexes similar
• Adult similar to juvenile
• Large, chunky dove
• Fairly long, black bill
• Pale blue, teardrop-shaped orbital ring to eye
• Pale gray-brown head, neck, back, belly, and upperwings, with darker brown primaries
• Long dark mark on lower face below eye
• Purplish iridescence on neck
• Bold white wing patch, visible at rest, formed by pale secondary coverts
• Long tail is slightly rounded at tip
• Dark brown tail with white corners bordered above by black line

Distribution: Southwest U.S.,TX, Gulf Coast States to Florida – Uncommon visitor to South Carolina.

Legal Status: Game Bird: Seasons set annually. Daily aggregate bag limit for mourning doves and white-winged doves is 15.

Eurasian Collared Doves

Description:

• Length: 12 inches
• Pale gray head and underparts
• Thin black collar with white upper border
• Gray upperparts
• Dark primaries
• Long, squared tail-undersurface with black base and white tip; upper surface gray with white outer tips
• Sexes similar
• Established in southern Florida and expanding northward

Distribution: Throughout South Carolina – Most common in outer coastal plain, but locally abundant throughout.

Legal Status: Unprotected. May be harvested along with mourning doves and white-winged doves, but does not count in daily bag limit.

Rock Dove, Rock Pigeon or Common Pigeon

Description:

• Length: 12-14 inches
• Color variable; most are bluish gray with black bands on wings and a black tip to the tail
• Wings broad but pointed
• Gray-black bill
• Sexes similar

Distribution: Statewide. Common in cities, towns, around grain bins and cattle feed lots.

Legal Status: Unprotected. May be harvested along with mourning doves and white-winged doves, but does not count in daily bag limit.

Common Ground Dove:

Description:

• Length: 5.5 inches
• Small, chunky dove
• Black-tipped orange bill
• Gray-brown back and upperwings
• Scaly appearance to breast and head
• Black spotting on wing coverts
• Cinnamon inner webs of primaries visible in flight, and occasionally at rest
• Cinnamon wing linings
• Short tail is slightly rounded at tip
• Tail is brown centrally, with black edges and white corners

Distribution: Throughout coastal plain. Most common in outer coastal plain. Rarely in piedmont.

Legal Status: Protected non-game.