Common Ground Dove

About the Common Ground Dove

The smallest dove in the United States, the Common Ground Dove is barely bigger than a sparrow, a stubby, short-tailed bird in soft sandy-gray with a scaly-looking breast and a scattering of dark spots on the wing. In flight it flashes bright rufous in the wings and shows a short black tail.

True to its name, it spends most of its time on the ground, walking with a bobbing head as it picks up tiny seeds and waste grain, often in pairs or small groups. Easily overlooked, it flushes with a soft rattle of wings and gives a gentle, repeated cooing call.

In Texas the Common Ground Dove is a year-round resident of the southern and coastal parts of the state, favoring open, sandy ground, brushy edges, farm lots, and roadsides.

A note from behind the lens: because they stay low and blend in, getting to ground level is everything. Watch dusty field edges and quiet roadsides, ease down to their height, and catch the rufous wing-flash or a tame pair feeding in warm, low light.