A stocky, desert-adapted dove famous for its distinctive white wing patches flashed in flight and its soothing, cooing call. Once confined to southern brush country, it expanded across Texas Hill Country oak savannas.
Field Identification: Bold white patch on the outer wing edge visible in flight or at rest. Blue bare skin ring around the eye and a dark spot on the lower cheek.
Texas & Hill Country Notes: Famous in southern lore and music ("edge of seventeen" / "who-cooks-for-you" call), it feeds extensively on cedar berries and native hackberry seeds across central Texas. Unlike Mourning Doves, White-winged Doves assemble in large communal roosts in Ashe juniper and live oak groves during summer breeding.
