Inca Dove (Columbina inca)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Inca Dove

Columbina inca (Lesson, RP, 1847)

16–23 cmLength48 gWeight

The Inca dove or Mexican dove (Columbina inca) is a small New World dove.

Busiest months: April · Most records: United States, Mexico, Costa Rica

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Inca Dove has been recorded at 317 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Paton Center for HummingbirdsUnited States18,519 records
  2. Estero Llano Grande SP WBCUnited States16,780 records
  3. Bentsen-Rio Grande Val. SP WBC (Mission)United States10,757 records
More places
  1. Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water RanchUnited States8,594 records
  2. Quinta Mazatlan WBCUnited States8,511 records
  3. Santa Ana NWRUnited States7,550 records
  4. Resaca de la Palma SP WBC (Brownsville)United States6,093 records
  5. Frontera Audubon CenterUnited States5,684 records
  6. Edinburg Scenic Wetlands WBCUnited States4,636 records
  7. PortalUnited States4,578 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesMexicoCosta RicaHondurasNicaraguaGuatemalaEl SalvadorBelize

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Inca dove or Mexican dove (Columbina inca) is a small New World dove. The species was first described by French surgeon and naturalist René Lesson in 1847. It is a slender species, with a gray-brown body covered in feathers that resemble a scaled pattern.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Inca Dove?

The Inca Dove is about 16–23 cm long and weighs around 48 g.

Where does the Inca Dove live?

Its breeding range: North America, Middle America: southwestern USA to Costa Rica. It is most often recorded in United States, Mexico and Costa Rica.

When is the best time to see the Inca Dove?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Inca Dove endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Inca Dove as Least Concern.

What does the Inca Dove eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Inca Dove in?

It belongs to the family Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae), order Columbiformes.

At a glance

Length
16–23 cm
Weight
48 g
Habitat
Towns & farmland
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
92 mm
Tail
89 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
16 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America, Middle America: southwestern USA to Costa Rica

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Pigeons, Doves Columbidae
Genus
Columbina

Other birds in the genus Columbina

Scaled DoveScaled DoveColumbina squammataCommon Ground DoveCommon Ground DoveColumbina passerinaPlain-breasted Ground DovePlain-breasted Ground DoveColumbina minutaEcuadorian Ground DoveEcuadorian Ground DoveColumbina buckleyiRuddy Ground DoveRuddy Ground DoveColumbina talpacotiPicui Ground DovePicui Ground DoveColumbina picuiCroaking Ground DoveCroaking Ground DoveColumbina cruzianaBlue-eyed Ground DoveBlue-eyed Ground DoveColumbina cyanopisRock DoveRock DoveColumba liviaHill PigeonHill PigeonColumba rupestris
Inca Dove

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Greg Lasley. ↗

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