Zenaida asiatica
Silhouette: Danielle Alba · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The white-winged dove (Zenaida asiatica) is a dove whose native range extends from the Southwestern United States through Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. They are large for doves, and can be distinguished from similar doves by the distinctive white edge on their wings. They have a blue eyering and red eyes. The plumage is brownish-gray to gray. Juveniles are duller in color and have brown eyes. The call is likened to the English phrase "who cooks for you". There are three subspecies. It was first described by George Edwards in 1743, and given its binomial name by Linnaeus in 1756. It was moved into the genus Zenaida in 1838.
They inhabit a variety of environments, including desert, scrub, and urban. Their diet consists mostly of grains, but will also include pollen and nectar, especially from the saguaro cactus, which is a vital source of water.
Human expansion has greatly affected the white-winged dove. Before human presence, their range closely mirrored that of their favorite food, the saguaro. The advent of agriculture in North America greatly expanded its range by providing a reliable food source. This has also led some modern populations to be migratory. Historically, they nested in enormous colonies, but most have been lost to human activities and climate change, and most nesting now occurs in isolation. It is hunted for sport, and is the second most shot game bird in the United States. Its population collapsed in the 1960s and 1970s, likely due to the loss of major nesting colonies. The population rebounded, however, and despite continued habitat loss and hunting, it has proved adaptable to human environments. The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers it to be a species of least-concern. Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 3 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 5 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | |
| 6 | León | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 8 | Ciudad Juárez | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Abilene Zoological Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Phoenix Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Xcaret | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Parc animalier de Casteil | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 8 | Riverbanks Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | The Abilene Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Alameda Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-winged Dove sighting in Channel Islands National Park on a given day, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 205th most-seen of the 276 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-winged Dove in Channel Islands National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months. That is one of Channel Islands National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 60 mm in January.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-winged Dove sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
54th of 59
Of the 59 parks where we can rate White-winged Dove sightings, Channel Islands National Park ranks 54th at under 5%. The best odds are in Masaya Volcano National Park (Nicaragua, about 90%), Cabo Pulmo National Park (Mexico, about 80%) and Big Bend National Park (United States, about 70%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-winged Dove is recorded against all the birds logged in Channel Islands National Park (36 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
