AL White-winged Dove Hunting Guide

Also known as: White-winged dove

The white-winged dove 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 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.

Habitat & Range

Some populations of white-winged doves aremigratory, wintering in Mexico,Central America, and theCaribbean. They are year-round inhabitants in Texas. San Antonio, Texas, had a year-round population of over a million doves in 2001.[15]The white-winged dove inhabits scrub, woodlands, desert, urban, and cultivated areas.[4]They are found increasingly farther north, now being visitors to most of the United States, and small parts of southern Canada.[12] In recent years with increasingurbanizationand backyard feeding, it has expanded throughoutTexas, intoOklahoma,Louisiana, and coastalMississippi. It has also been introduced toFlorida.[4]The white-winged dove is expanding outside its historic range into Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and northern New Mexico. It has been increasingly reported as far north as Canada and Alaska.[16][17]Within Arizona, populations are effectively divided between agricultural and desert groups.[18]It shares its habitat with that of the mourning dove, but the white winged dove will fly higher.[12] They generally nest at low densities in the desert, but are found in high concentrations nearriparianareas. Nesting in riparian zones is referred to ascolonial, as opposed to noncolonial behavior in more harsh environments.[3]Such colonies are quite variable, but may be very large. Colony size varies from 5 hectares (0.019 mi2) to well over a 1,000 hectares (3.9 mi2). Outside of colonies, nests have a density less than 10 per hectare, but within colonies, 500–1,000 nests are found per hectare.[19] Before the advent of widespread agriculture, they may not have been widely present in what is now the United States, as evidenced by a lack of fossil remains and absence from the journals of early European explorers. Their presence in California is likely recent, as a result of the manmade filling of theSalton Seaat the turn of the 20th century. The historical range of the dove closely mirrors that of thesaguarocactus, on which it relies heavily for nectar and fruit where it is found. Modern agriculture has greatly expanded their range by providing a reliable source of forage.[3]Theurban heat islandeffect may also enable them to live further north than they otherwise could.[4] White-winged doves typically migrate into Arizona beginning in March.[3]In California, birds arrive in April and depart by August. Texas migrations run from April through June, peaking in May, and departures run September to October.[4]Migratory groups may include as many as 4,000 individuals,[20]though typically less than 50. A combination of weather, food availability, and hunting pressure can affect the timing of migration.[4]As populations expand in Texas they are becoming less migratory; about 1/3 of birds now overwinter in Texas.[21]Migrations are tracked via traditionalbandingmethods, but theisotopecomposition of hydrogen and carbon in the feathers can also be used. A 2015 study showed that by tracking the amount of various isotopes, researchers could accurately identify a white-winged dove's migration origin. They could also identify if it had been eating from saguaros because of the unique carbon signature thatcactus photosynthesisproduces.[18]

Life History

Columba asiaticaLinnaeus, 1758; Columba leucopteraLinnaeus, 1758 Thewhite-winged dove(Zenaida asiatica) is adovewhose native range extends from theSouthwestern United StatesthroughMexico,Central America, and theCaribbean. 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 English phrase "who cooks for you". There are three subspecies. It was first described byGeorge Edwardsin 1743, and given its binomial name byLinnaeusin 1756. It was moved into the genusZenaidain 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 thesaguaro cactus, which is a vital source of water. The expansion of humans has greatly affected the white-winged dove. Prior to 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 colonies have been lost due to human action and climatic factors, and most nesting is now isolated. 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. TheInternational Union for Conservation of Natureconsiders it to be a species ofleast-concern. White-winged doves are a plump, medium-sized bird (large for a dove), at 29 cm (11 in) from tip to tail, and a weight of 150 g (5.3 oz).[12]Wingspan ranges from 18.9 to 22.8 in (48–58 cm).[13]They are brownish-gray above and gray below, with a bold white wing patch that appears as a brilliant white crescent in flight, and is also visible at rest. Adults have a ring of blue, featherless skin around each eye and a long, dark mark on the lower face. They have a blue eye ring and their legs and feet are brighter pink/red. Their eyes are bright crimson, except for juveniles, which have brown eyes. Juveniles are duller and grayer than adults and lack iridescence. Juvenile plumage is usually found between March and October.[12] Differentiating between sexes is difficult, and usually requires examination of thecloaca. Males do have a more iridescent purple color to the crown, neck, and nape, as well as a more distinctive ear spot, though the differences are slight. Males are usually heavier on average, but differences in daily weight due to feeding make this an inaccurate field tool. Thus, most observers cannot accurately differentiate between sexes based on external characteristics alone.[14] The identifying hallmark is its namesake white-edged wing, which similar species lack. It appears similar to themourning dove, with which it may be easily confused. Compared to the mourning dove, it is larger and heavier. It has a short, rounded tail, whereas the mourning dove has a long, tapered, triangular tail. The mourning dove has several black spots on the wing; the white-winged dove does not.[12]Other similar species include thewhite-tipped dove, but the lack of white wing edging is distinctive. The same goes for the invasiveEurasian collared dove, which is further differentiated by grayish overall color and black neck band.[14] Theirmoltis similar to that of the mourning dove. Molting runs June through November, and occurs in the summer breeding grounds unless interrupted by migration.[14] Normally, up to 4000 birds are seen migrating, but in Texas, a flock of up to a million birds was recorded.Z. asiaticamay fly 25 or more miles to find water, though they can be sustained solely by the water in saguaro cactus fruit.[20]

Status, Trends & Threats

TheUnited States Fish and Wildlife Servicehas tracked the population of these doves for decades. The United States population peaked in 1968, but fell precipitously in the 1970s. The decline is likely due to loss of large nesting colonies in the 1960s and 1970s from habitat destruction, shifts in agricultural trends, and over-hunting. The population has continued to decline despite tougher hunting laws. Its population and range in Arizona has sharply contracted, though its range continues to expand in Texas. Though it is the second-most shot-hunted bird in the United States, it remains poorly studied, especially in California and Florida, as well as in Mexico.[3][28] Lead poisoning, especially in hunting areas, poses a significant risk to white-winged dove health. A 2010 Texas study found that 66% of doves had elevated lead levels. The study noted that birds with lethal concentrations of lead were not found because accidental ingestion of lead shot can kill birds in just two days, and that they are incapacitated before that point, meaning that such birds died before they could be collected by researchers.[29] Climate change is expected to expand their range to the north, but will also threaten populations with increased drought and fire, which destroy habitat, and spring heatwaves, which can kill young in the nest.[30] Colonial nesting sites in Mexico have seen significant losses. The main causes were brush clearing to make way for agricultural or urban development (leading to habitat loss), extreme weather such as droughts and hurricanes, and over-hunting. The population in Mexico followed the trend of American populations. In the 1970s, only a million birds were in northeastern Mexico, compared to a rebound of 16 million in the 1980s, and five million in 2007. Habitat fragmentation is of great concern to the species, especially due to the preference for returning to the same large colonies year after year. Due to continued pressures, large nesting colonies are now mainly gone, and are not expected to return. Despite this, the white-winged dove has proved adaptable to human disturbance, and is regarded as a species ofleast concernby theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature.[1][19]

Hunting Season

Same as mourning dove: Sep 1 - Oct 30 and Dec 1 - Jan 15 (varies by zone).

References

• Alabama — White-winged Dove