Ruddy Ground Dove vs Common Ground-Dove

Ruddy Ground Dove

Columbina talpacoti

How to recognise a ruddy ground dove?

General appearance

The Ruddy Ground Dove mainly embodies a reddish-orange color, complemented with shades of black, brown, gray, and white. Its physical structure is around 6.5 to 7 inches long and approximately 16 1/2 to 18 inches in width, symbolizing proportions akin to that of a sparrow or robin. The bird possesses a noticeable lack of a scaly pattern on its chest and pink hue on its bill. The wings and tail are in a rounded, short, square-tipped form.

Male vs female

The male Ruddy Ground Dove carries more pronounced reddish tones compared to the females. While both sexes feature black spots on the wings, males distinguish themselves with additional black markings on the scapulars, which is the area located above the wings.

Juvenile

Information on the appearances of juvenile Ruddy Ground Doves as compared to adults isn't currently available. However, in many species of doves, juveniles tend to have more muted colors and less distinctive markings, gaining their full adult coloration and patterning as they mature.

Size

6.5 - 7.1 in/1.4 - 2.0 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

The Ruddy Ground Dove typically inhabits subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and heavily degraded former forests.

Additional range

Unexpectedly, this dove can also thrive in urban areas and is frequently found in Mexico, Central and South America, and the southwestern United States.

Range Map

What do ruddy ground doves like to eat?

Natural diet

Ruddy Ground Doves primarily consume small grass seeds as their main food source. They are typically found foraging on bare ground in open areas where they peck seeds directly off the ground. This behavior allows them to efficiently gather the seeds that form the bulk of their diet.

Bird feeders

While Ruddy Ground Doves are mostly reliant on natural food sources, they may occasionally visit bird feeders, especially those that offer small seeds similar to grass seeds, such as millet or cracked corn. However, they are not as commonly seen at feeders as some other bird species.

What does a ruddy ground dove sound like?

The ruddy ground dove has an array of vocalizations which range from soft cooing to more distinct calls. These sounds have been described as a "kitty-woo," a "per-whoop," and a "p-ter-woo." The pattern of its song typically differs based on the intention, be it for courtship or alerting others of danger. The dove's distinctive cooing can be heard resonating through the their natural habitats, contributing to the peaceful ambiance. These calls and songs make the ruddy ground dove a uniquely expressive bird species.

Song

Audio by Gabriel Leite

/ CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

There's more to learn about Ruddy Ground Dove

View full details

Common Ground-Dove

Columbina passerina

How to recognise a common ground-dove?

General appearance

The common ground-dove has a small and short-tailed physique, measuring around 6 1/2 inches in length. They typically feature a scaly pattern on their chest and head. Their bill has a pink base and their wings often display a bright rusty red. When in flight, their short black tail reveals pale corners.

Male vs female

The sex of the common ground-dove is not distinctively distinguishable. Both males and females share similar physical traits such as short-rounded tails and short-rounded wings. However, the males may have more vibrant coloration across the wings. The color variations include black, brown, grey, pink, and red.

Juvenile

Juvenile common ground-doves may initially have a short tail and also display the characteristic scaly pattern. Over time, their tail grows and they adopt the standard appearance of the adult ground dove. Juveniles are similar in size to a sparrow, while adult ground doves are about the size of a robin.

Size

5.9 - 7.1 in/1.0 - 1.4 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

The common ground-dove predominantly inhabits semi-open habitats, including farms, orchards, wood edges, and roadsides with low brush and grass. These environments provide cover and food resources.

Additional range

In the southeast, the common ground-dove is found in brushy fields and the understory of open pine woods. Meanwhile in the southwest, it is seen in similar environments as well as in ranch yards, and mesquite thickets along streams.

Range Map

What do common ground-doves like to eat?

Natural diet

The common ground-dove primarily feeds on a variety of seeds. It especially prefers seeds from grasses and weeds, but its diet also includes waste grain found in farm fields. Additionally, the dove will consume small fruits and berries, as well as some insects, though seeds remain its main food source.

Bird feeders

The common ground-dove may occasionally visit bird feeders, where it is likely to consume commercially available birdseed mixes. These mixes often include seeds that mimic its natural diet, such as millet, cracked corn, and other small seeds. However, its preference for seeds found in its natural habitat is stronger.

What does a common ground-dove sound like?

The common ground-dove vocalizes soft cooing notes. It produces a melody in the pattern of 'coo-oo, coo-oo, coo-oo,' characterized by a rising inflection at the end of each coo. These sounds are considered its call, categorized under the 'hoot' call type due to the soft, low, and somewhat owl-like sounds it produces. Its gentle coos and hoots are quite distinctive and exemplify the typical sounds associated with the dove species.

Call

Audio by G. McGrane

There's more to learn about Common Ground-Dove

View full details

Ruddy Ground Dove

Tap To compare

Common Ground-Dove

Ruddy Ground Dove

Columbina talpacoti

General appearance

The Ruddy Ground Dove mainly embodies a reddish-orange color, complemented with shades of black, brown, gray, and white. Its physical structure is around 6.5 to 7 inches long and approximately 16 1/2 to 18 inches in width, symbolizing proportions akin to that of a sparrow or robin. The bird possesses a noticeable lack of a scaly pattern on its chest and pink hue on its bill. The wings and tail are in a rounded, short, square-tipped form.

Male vs female

The male Ruddy Ground Dove carries more pronounced reddish tones compared to the females. While both sexes feature black spots on the wings, males distinguish themselves with additional black markings on the scapulars, which is the area located above the wings.

Juvenile

Information on the appearances of juvenile Ruddy Ground Doves as compared to adults isn't currently available. However, in many species of doves, juveniles tend to have more muted colors and less distinctive markings, gaining their full adult coloration and patterning as they mature.

Size

6.5 - 7.1 in/1.4 - 2.0 oz

There's more to learn about Ruddy Ground Dove

View full details

Common Ground-Dove

Columbina passerina

General appearance

The common ground-dove has a small and short-tailed physique, measuring around 6 1/2 inches in length. They typically feature a scaly pattern on their chest and head. Their bill has a pink base and their wings often display a bright rusty red. When in flight, their short black tail reveals pale corners.

Male vs female

The sex of the common ground-dove is not distinctively distinguishable. Both males and females share similar physical traits such as short-rounded tails and short-rounded wings. However, the males may have more vibrant coloration across the wings. The color variations include black, brown, grey, pink, and red.

Juvenile

Juvenile common ground-doves may initially have a short tail and also display the characteristic scaly pattern. Over time, their tail grows and they adopt the standard appearance of the adult ground dove. Juveniles are similar in size to a sparrow, while adult ground doves are about the size of a robin.

Size

5.9 - 7.1 in/1.0 - 1.4 oz

There's more to learn about Common Ground-Dove

View full details

How to tell the Ruddy Ground Dove from the Common Ground-Dove

Visual differences

The Ruddy Ground Dove (6.5 - 7 in, 1.4 - 2 oz) features a reddish-orange plumage with black markings and lacks a scaly pattern on its chest. Its bill is uniformly colored. The Common Ground-Dove (6.5 in, 1 - 1.4 oz) is smaller and has a scaly pattern on its chest and head. It has a pink-based bill and wings with rusty red coloration. In flight, its short black tail shows pale corners. Males are not easily distinguishable in the Common Ground-Dove, while male Ruddy Ground Doves exhibit more vibrant coloration.

Key differences and behavior

The Ruddy Ground Dove and Common Ground-Dove both exhibit unique behaviors useful for distinction. Ruddy Ground Doves are aggressive, often engaging in wing-slapping bouts, yet show friendliness towards humans. They thrive in diverse habitats, including forests and urban areas. In contrast, the Common Ground-Dove is more solitary, ground-foraging for seeds to sustain its high daily requirement, often in semi-open habitats like farms. Ruddy Ground Doves show detailed biparental nesting care at low heights, whereas Common Ground-Dove nesting is marked by flimsy nests in low trees or shrubs. While both species feed mainly on seeds, the Common Ground-Dove occasionally includes fruits and insects in its diet, requiring about 2,500 seeds daily to maintain weight.essi

Still not sure? Here are more lookalikes!

Ruddy Ground Dove vs Inca Dove

Ruddy Ground Dove

Inca Dove

Learn the difference

Ruddy Ground Dove vs Plain-Breasted Ground Dove

Ruddy Ground Dove

Plain-Breasted Ground Dove

Learn the difference

Common Ground-Dove vs Mourning Dove

Common Ground-Dove

A tiny, soft-voiced dove.

Mourning Dove

Gentle ground-feeding visitors with a soothing call.

Learn the difference

Common Ground-Dove vs Inca Dove

Common Ground-Dove

A tiny, soft-voiced dove.

Inca Dove

Learn the difference

Ruddy Ground Dove or Common Ground-Dove?

Ruddy Ground Dove

How to recognise a ruddy ground dove?

Habitat

What do ruddy ground doves like to eat?

What does a ruddy ground dove sound like?

Song

There's more to learn about Ruddy Ground Dove

Common Ground-Dove

How to recognise a common ground-dove?

Habitat

What do common ground-doves like to eat?

What does a common ground-dove sound like?

Call

There's more to learn about Common Ground-Dove

Ruddy Ground Dove

There's more to learn about Ruddy Ground Dove

Common Ground-Dove

There's more to learn about Common Ground-Dove

How to tell the Ruddy Ground Dove from the Common Ground-Dove

Visual differences

Key differences and behavior

Still not sure? Here are more lookalikes!

Ruddy Ground Dove vs Inca Dove

Ruddy Ground Dove

Inca Dove

Ruddy Ground Dove vs Plain-Breasted Ground Dove

Ruddy Ground Dove

Plain-Breasted Ground Dove

Common Ground-Dove vs Mourning Dove

Common Ground-Dove

Mourning Dove

Common Ground-Dove vs Inca Dove

Common Ground-Dove

Inca Dove

Ruddy Ground Dove vs [Select a bird]

Ruddy Ground Dove

[Select a bird]

Common Ground-Dove vs [Select a bird]

Common Ground-Dove

[Select a bird]