(Columbina passerina)

Pigeons and doves are of the order Columbiformes and the family Columbidae. They are small headed, short-legged, swift-flying birds with pointed wings and fanned or tapered tails. Females are duller than males. All species coo. They bob their heads when walking. They eat grains, small seeds, acorns and fruit. The nests are generally in trees. On average there are two white eggs laid.

Ground doves (7 inches), slightly larger than sparrows, inhabit brush and farmlands in the southern United States and into Mexico. The tail is short and broad. Their coloration is brown with rufous in the wings. The feet are yellow. They usually nest on the ground. The call is a series of low soft whistles, each with a rising inflection: hooah.

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