White-winged Dove

A drawn-out run of roughly nine scratchy coos, shifting among a few pitches and often remembered loosely as who-COOKS-for-you; the last coo may stretch longest.

Resident year-round in much of the U.S. Southwest, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean; northern populations migrate to Mexico and Central America for winter.

Deserts, saguaro cactus forests, thorn-scrub, riparian corridors, suburban neighborhoods, and agricultural fields—especially where large fruiting or flowering trees such as saguaro, mesquite, citrus, or mulberry are present.

In the Southwest, nesting begins as early as February; two-egg clutches may be raised in rapid succession until late summer. Peak migration occurs Aug-Sep southbound and Apr-May northbound.

The White-winged Dove is a robust, medium-sized dove of arid and semi-arid landscapes. Recognized instantly in flight by the broad white flash on each wing, this southwestern specialty has expanded its range northward with the planting of ornamental trees and backyard feeders. On the ground it appears uniformly warm gray-brown, but when it takes off a startling pattern of white and black wings is revealed.