﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  387 
  

  

  ■e^^'es 
  brown; 
  feet 
  red. 
  Female: 
  A 
  little 
  smaller 
  and 
  considerably 
  duller 
  

   than 
  the 
  male. 
  Yotmg: 
  Similar 
  to 
  female 
  but 
  grayer, 
  and 
  the 
  black 
  

   spots 
  wanting. 
  

  

  Length 
  11-13 
  inches; 
  extent 
  17-19; 
  wing 
  5.7-6; 
  tail 
  5.7-6.5; 
  tarsus 
  .8; 
  

   middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  i; 
  bill 
  .6; 
  weight 
  5-6 
  ounces. 
  

  

  Field 
  marks. 
  This 
  species 
  has 
  been 
  mistaken 
  for 
  the 
  Passenger 
  pigeon 
  

   on 
  numberless 
  occasions 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  well 
  for 
  the 
  observer 
  to 
  note 
  his 
  bird 
  

   carefully 
  to 
  avoid 
  being 
  in 
  error. 
  The 
  Mourning 
  dove 
  is 
  much 
  smaller 
  than 
  

   the 
  wild 
  pigeon, 
  but, 
  when 
  

   no 
  standard 
  of 
  comparison 
  

   is 
  at 
  hand, 
  it 
  often 
  gives 
  

   the 
  impression 
  of 
  being 
  a 
  

   much 
  larger 
  bird 
  than 
  it 
  

   is. 
  Its 
  breast 
  is 
  much 
  less 
  

   red 
  than 
  the 
  pigeon's, 
  it 
  is 
  

   not 
  so 
  blue 
  on 
  the 
  back, 
  

   and 
  it 
  has 
  the 
  black 
  spot 
  

   in 
  the 
  ear 
  region 
  which 
  is 
  

   lacking 
  in 
  the 
  pigeon. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  The 
  

   Mourning 
  dove 
  is 
  fairl)' 
  

   well 
  distributed 
  in 
  all 
  

   parts 
  of 
  New 
  York, 
  ex- 
  

   cepting 
  the 
  northern 
  por- 
  

   tion 
  and 
  the 
  Highlands 
  

   which 
  are 
  above 
  1000 
  feet 
  in 
  elevation, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  rather 
  uncommon. 
  It 
  

   is 
  occasionally 
  found 
  about 
  the 
  borders 
  of 
  the 
  North 
  Woods 
  as 
  at 
  Lake 
  

   George, 
  Old 
  Forge, 
  and 
  Ausable 
  Forks, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  more 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  

   Carolinian, 
  and 
  the 
  warmer 
  portion 
  of 
  Transition 
  zone, 
  than 
  of 
  the 
  cooler 
  

   districts. 
  It 
  is 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  coastal 
  district, 
  lower 
  Hudson 
  valley, 
  and 
  the 
  

   lowlands 
  of 
  western 
  New 
  York, 
  arriving 
  from 
  the 
  south 
  early 
  in 
  March 
  in 
  

   southeastern 
  New 
  York, 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  20th 
  to 
  the 
  30th 
  of 
  March 
  in 
  the 
  western 
  

   <:ounties, 
  and 
  departs 
  for 
  the 
  south 
  late 
  in 
  October, 
  or 
  in 
  November, 
  but 
  rarely 
  

   Temains 
  throughout 
  the 
  winter 
  months 
  in 
  the 
  warmer 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  

  

  Mourning 
  dove. 
  Zenaidura 
  

  

  Photo 
  by 
  Guy 
  A. 
  Bailey 
  

   :arolinensis 
  (Linnaeus) 
  

  

  