Mourning Dove 159 



This genus contains two slightly differing subspecies, spread over 

 North America and the West Indies respectively. 



Mourning Dove. Zenaidura macrura carolinensis. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 316— Colorado Records— Baird 58, p. 604; 

 Allen 72, pp. 152, 159, 181 ; Aiken 72, p. 208 ; Henshaw 75, p. 431 ; 

 Scott 79, p. 96 ; Tresz 81, p. 188 ; Stone 81, p. 45 ; Drew 81, p. 141 ; 

 85, p. 17 ; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 197 ; Beckham 85, p. 143 ; Morrison 

 88, p. 139 ; 89, p. 6 ; Kellogg 90, p. 87 ; Lowe 92, p. 101 ; 94, p. 267 ; 

 01, p. 276 ; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 73 , 203 ; Keyser, 02, p. 43 ; DiUe 03, 

 p. 74 ; Henderson 03, p. 234 ; 09, p. 229 ; Warren 06, p. 20 ; 08, p. 20 ; 

 09, p. 14; Gilman07,p. 153 ; Markman 07, p. 156 ; Rockwell 08, p. 161. 

 Description. — Male— Above, including the middle tail-feathers, oUve- 

 brown, the wing-feathers dusky with a slaty-blue wash and the inner 

 secondaries and scapulars with black spots ; outer tail-feathers slaty 

 with a median black bar, and tips of the four outer ones white ; head 

 cinnamon-bluish on the occii^ut and nape, and a black spot below the 

 ear-coverts ; sides of the neck irridescent pink ; below lavender-pink, 

 becoming cirmamon posteriorly ; iris dark brown, skin round the eye 

 bhiish, bill black, legs red, drying yellowish. Length 12-25 ; wing 6-1 ; 

 tail 6-0 ; culmen -6 ; tarstis -75. 



The female is a httle smaller — wing 5-75, and the colour less bright ; 

 a young bird lacks the iridescence and black spots, and has pale 

 edgings to many of the feathers. 



Distribution. — North America from southern Ontario and British 

 Colmnbia to Panama ; a summer resident north ; a resident through- 

 out the year south of about 36". 



The Movirning Dove is a very abundant simimer resident throughout 

 Colorado, in the plains and up to about 7,000 feet. At higher altitudes 

 it becomes much more scarce. It was found breeding at Breckenridge 

 at about 9,500 feet by Carter, while Drew states that it occasionally 

 wanders as high as 12,000 feet. 



It arrives from the south about the middle of April though often 

 seen earlier, and leaves in September. A few birds doubtless winter 

 in the State ; Lowe saw a flock of fortj^ on January 7th, near Beulah, 

 and Gale states that a certain number winter in Boulder co., while at 

 Grand Junction it has been seen as early as February 26th, and as late 

 as November 2nd (Rockwell). 



Habits. — This Dove, also frequently known as the 

 Carolina Dove and Turtle-Dove, is of very wide distribu- 

 tion and seems readily to adapt itself to its surroundings. 

 It is found everywhere, but is perhaps most abundant 



