White-tipped Dove
Learn to identify the White-tipped Dove by ear. Master the "whooo... CROOO... croo-croo-croo" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the White-tipped Dove sounds like
A hollow, resonant wo-woo-ooo from a hidden perch, mournful and far-carrying through thick brush.
How to tell it apart
Where you'll hear it
Mostly a year-round resident from Mexico through much of Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. In the United States, it has a small, local foothold in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Dense brush, thornscrub, woodland edges, gardens, and shady understory in tropical lowlands. In the U.S., it is most at home in South Texas thickets with nearby feeding spots.
Most noticeable in spring and early summer, when males give deep, measured coos from hidden perches. In fall and winter it often goes quiet and can be easy to miss as it feeds low under cover.
How to recognize it by sight
A chunky, soft-brown dove that loves shady cover and quiet paths. The giveaway is in the name: when it walks away or lifts off, the tail flashes bright white at the tip. Up close, the red eye can glow like a tiny ember in the understory.