152 DOVES. 



Canada south to Panama ; not common on the Bahamas ; lo- 

 Fig. 185. cal in distribution. Social but not dur- 



ing the breeding season and never con- 

 gregating in very large flocks. Breeds 

 in late June. Flight, swift and direct 

 and when rising the wings produce a 

 whistling sound. Note, a mournful 

 double coo. Feeds on the ground, but 

 a flock will often sit together side by 

 side on the branches of a tree, 

 d. Short-tailed Doves. Zeiiaida. 

 Kather compactly formed, medium 

 sized doves with short rounded tails. 



1. ZENAIDA DOYE, Z. ZENAIDA. 

 11.00; yellowish-red above overwashed 

 Q, A, c, 1. 1-8. with ashy; a narrow white wing-band; 

 beneath and on sides of head and neck, reddish-brown be- 

 coming bluish on sides, flanks and under tail coverts; small 

 bluish-black spot behind eye and a larger one on side of neck 

 where there is an iridescent patch of purple and green. Com- 

 mon on the Bahamas and in some of the West Indies ; rare on 

 the Fla. Keys. Not at all social, rarely, if ever occurring 

 even in small flocks ; lives most of the time on the ground. 

 The coo consists of two notes, the first uttered with a falling 

 inflection, the second follows quickly, but is not as prolonged, 

 then " Who, ivho, who" with a decided pause between the 

 first two ; all are loud, but in a minor key. 



e. Little Doves. Columbigalliiia. 

 Very small doves with short tails and -slender bills that 

 live mostly on the ground. 



1. GROUND DOVE, C. PASSEBINA. 7.00 ; brownish-ash 

 above with inner portion of wings spotted with black having 

 a violet iridescence; under portion of wing, showing in flight, 

 chestnut; beneath, purplish-red with breast obscurely spot- 

 ted with dusky ; bill, orange black at tip, fig. 186. Female, 

 somewhat duller. South Atlantic and Gulf States. Note, a 

 loud " Who" often repeated, always in a minor tone. Ordina- 



