3 Types Of DOVES In Pennsylvania (ID Guide With Photos)
Did you recently come across a dove in the state of Pennsylvania, and want to know what species it was?
Identifying doves in the Keystone State is not as easy as it might seem, since there are several dove species in Pennsylvania (as well as a closely related pigeon species).
To help you identify the bird you saw, we’ll cover the most common doves of Pennsylvania in this article.
What are the types of doves in Pennsylvania?
The 3 types of doves found in Pennsylvania are:
- Mourning Dove
- Rock Pigeon
- Eurasian Collared-Dove (rare)
Most of these doves are year round residents of Pennsylvania, while Eurasian Collared Doves are rare vagrants that occasionally occur in the state.
Now let’s dive into the details, and take a closer look at each of these doves:
Mourning Dove
Scientific name: Zenaida macroura
The Mourning Dove is one of the most common birds in North America, especially around farms and suburban areas.
This dove is almost entirely grayish-brown with a pale underside. The wings and the tail are pointed, and there is a small black dot on the side of the face.
When viewed up close, a grayish blue eyering as well as pink legs and toes are great distinguishing features of the Mourning Dove.
It is a common breeding bird throughout Pennsylvania, and can be seen year-round in the state. During the winter it often frequents open woodland, but avoids large forests.
These birds are often seen perched on telephone wires, or walking around on the ground while foraging for seeds.
You can readily attract these doves to your yard by scattering millet, safflower seeds, Nyjer seeds, and cracked corn on the ground.
But if you do, make sure there are no bushes or shrubs too close to the feeding area, as cats like to use cover to stalk and pounce on these birds while they are feeding on the ground.
Rock Pigeon
Scientific name: Columba livia
The Rock Pigeon is the most common dove species in the world, as it has adapted extremely well to urban environments, and is found in large numbers in cities all around the globe.
These pigeons are a common sight on many public squares and on the sidewalks of city streets, where they feed on scraps of food that are discarded by humans.
This is another pigeon that isn’t an original native of North America, but was introduced by European settlers in the early 17th Century.
These pigeons are easily attracted to bird feeders on the ground that offer grains or dried bread. But in many cities Rock Pigeons are considered a pest, and you may not be allowed to feed them.
The increase of Peregrine Falcons breeding in large cities across North America is largely due to the fact that feral Rock Pigeons provide such a rich food source for these raptors in Pennsylvania.
Rock Doves are also famous for their homing abilities, and were used by humans in previous centuries for carrying messages.
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Scientific name: Streptopelia decaocto
The Eurasian Collared-Dove was originally not a native bird of North America.
But after it was accidentally introduced into the Bahamas in the 1970s, the Eurasian Collared-Dove colonized Florida in the 1980s, and then continued its spread throughout most of North America.
A breeding pair of the Eurasian Collared-Dove was first observed in Pennsylvania during the early 2000’s.
It has since been encountered as a rare breeding bird in urban habitats of Pennsylvania, but is most often encountered as a vagrant visitor from more southern states.
The Eurasian Collared-Dove is often found in the same areas as Mourning Doves.
You can tell this bird apart from Mourning Doves by its black collar on the neck, as well as the white patches on the tail, which are most prominent when it is flushed from the ground.
While these doves aren’t migratory, they are highly dispersive after the breeding season, and as a result show up in areas where they normally don’t breed.
You can readily attract these birds to your backyard by offering bird seeds on the ground.
Conclusion
And there we have the 3 doves found in the state of Pennsylvania.
The varied habitats of Pennsylvania are home to more than 400 different species of birds, and doves make up a significant proportion of this rich avifauna.
Including both doves and pigeons, these birds play a vital role in the ecology of their habitats.If you enjoyed this article, check out our guide to the black birds of Pennsylvania.
