Dovekie Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A very small seabird with a chunky body, very short tail and neck, and a small stubby bill. The wings are short and narrow.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Red-necked Phalarope, smaller than a Black Guillemot.

  between robin and crow

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 7.5-9.1 in (19-23 cm)
    • Weight: 4.7-7.2 oz (134-204 g)
    • Wingspan: 15.0 in (38 cm)

  © Rob Martin / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Breeding adults are black above with a black breast and white belly. They have white-edged wing feathers, a small white mark behind the eye, and gray mottling on the flanks. Nonbreeding adults lack the black breast and show a partial white collar. Immatures have a brownish cast to the upperparts.

• Behavior

  Feeds by diving underwater, using wings to swim after prey in a zig-zag pattern as the bird ascends toward the surface. Often forages in large flocks, far out to sea.

• Habitat

  Nests on rocky islands, cliffs, scree, and talus slopes. Forages in marine environments where small zooplankton concentrate: along sea ice edge and where upwelling brings nutrients toward the surface, usually over the continental slope or banks far offshore.