White-winged Dove
Zenaida asiatica are migratory pollinators and are important to the saguaro cactus in desert areas because they help disperse seeds through either feces or by regurgitating to their young.
Last weekend Mitch set up the feeders for fall and winter. In no time, many pals arrived to feast together. An Eastern Grey tree squirrel, a pair of Eastern chipmunks, many sparrows (Chipping, Song, Juncos ), our resident woodpeckers (Downy and Hairy), the Black-capped Chickadees, Blue Jays, and a flock of American Mourning Doves graced us with their presence.
Common Grackles and Common Starlings visit each fall during the migration periods each year as well and arrive on cue. On Sunday, Mitch called out excitedly to come to the back door window to see a bird rarely seen in New Brunswick.
A stunning White-Winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) was resting in a dead Larch tree! I grabbed my binoculars and got a great look. This bird is larger than our American Mourning Dove (approximately 28 cm and 150 grams) and lacks the spots on the back. His/her white-edged wings were very apparent at rest, the eye ring was a pale grey and the bill was very dark, wider, and longer than our native ones. The crown was a slightly darker grey as well. I suspect that because he/she is at the end of autumn molting and is a juvenile, it shows a very messy-looking plumage under the bill plus the typical dark cheek patch isn’t as developed as on an adult plumage.
It didn’t feed on the seeds provided and Mitch later added a millet mix to the feeders. It eats by pecking more slowly than the Mourning doves do. This species can also eat larger seeds due to their bill size. In their range, they enjoy wheat, sunflower, milo, corn, safflower, some fruits, berries, grass, Mexican jumping beans, Chinese tallow, leatherwood, saguaro, lime prickly-ash, brazil, privet, pigeonberry, and ocotillo.
This bird has returned over the past few days and was seen drinking and eating. However, it is easily startled and takes flight when harassed by others. Hopefully, it will stay and fill up before taking its migration path. Most will journey south in September but some will remain to overwinter on this side of the border. In its range, they can migrate in flocks of 4000.
At this time they are not endangered although they were extensively hunted in the past by sportsmen which impacted populations in parts of their range, particularly at in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, USA. They are migratory pollinators and are important to the saguaro cactus in the desert areas because they help disperse seeds through either feces or by regurgitating to their young. Generally, males select their nesting area such as a tangle of vines, a clump of cactus, or a tree limb. She will then build a nest out of sticks, grass, and moss that the male bird delivers.
On occasion, they will use an old nest or reuse others’ nests. The nest is usually bowl-shaped and lined with a combination of leaves, bark, feathers, and pine needles. Both monogamous parents sit on eggs and have one to two broods of one to two eggs. Incubation lasts 14-20 days and nestlings leave after 13-16 days. They are fed for weeks after fledging.
This dove whose native range extends from the Southwestern United States through Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean is seen on our east coast all the way to Ontario.
They thrive in dense forests, brushlands, deserts, and a variety of other habitats. They have adapted to urban areas as well. They breed from the south of Panama and east to Cuba.
In the hopes that he/she stays with us for a while, we will continue observations and sharing our ebird reports. A reminder that Project FeederWatch which is a joint research and education project of Birds Canada and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is being held between November 1st to April 30th. Your ethical citizen bird observations make a huge impact!
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