Inca Dove

The Inca (Columbina inca) is a small dove with a long tail. The dark edges of their feathers give them a scalloped or scaly appearance. They are increasing in numbers in the Southwest and seemingly prefer to live near humans.

Their plump bodies help them survive both extreme heat and cold. In winter, they engage in an odd behavior known as "pyramid roosting." Groups of the Inca Doves find a sunny spot, huddle together, with some sitting on the backs of others. This helps them conserve heat. The pyramid may include up to a dozen birds and be three layers high.


Inca Doves forage for small dried seeds on the ground. The fluttering of their wings sounds somewhat like the crumpling of a paper bag. Some say their call sounds like a melancholy, "no hope, no hope" (but frankly, I don't hear it that way).

This species of dove have the ability to fly directly to water with no searching around. Early west Texas travelers often watched them to help locate watering holes. It is not legal to hunt Inca Doves in Texas.


The Inca is approximately half the size of the White-winged Dove (as seen in the above photo).