Ruddy Ground Dove Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesRuddy Ground Dove
Male
A very small dove with a long tail, deep red eyes, and black markings on the wings. Male has rich cinnamon upperparts that give way to a pale pink neck and face and a gray crown.
© Matthew Grube / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, August 17, 2015Female
Female is less colorful than male, with grayish underparts and brownish upperparts with a hint of cinnamon.
© Tom Murray / Macaulay LibraryQuintana Roo, November 14, 2012Male
A miniature dove with black wing markings, deep red eyes, and a fairly long tail. Male is cinnamon to rusty above, with pinkish underparts and a gray head.
© Josep del Hoyo / Macaulay LibraryValle del Cauca, April 10, 2022Male and female (with Inca Dove)
Sometimes joins mixed-species flocks with other small doves, including Inca Dove.
© Dick Dionne / Macaulay LibraryArizona, January 04, 2013Male
Male’s rusty upperparts are distinctive among Neotropical ground dove species.
© Róger Rodríguez Bravo / Macaulay LibraryAlajuela, July 27, 2013Resident from northern Mexico to northern Argentina, this species has become a regular visitor to Arizona and has occurred in several other U.S. states. Typically forages on the ground for seeds.
© Roger Uzun / Macaulay LibraryArizona, March 03, 2024Often seen in pairs or small flocks.
© Jerome Foster / Macaulay LibrarySan Juan-Laventille, November 05, 2016Male and female
Socially monogamous, with strong pair bonds. Male has pinkish underparts, while female is tan below.
© Daniel Pacheco Osorio / Macaulay LibraryZamora-Chinchipe, March 17, 2024Similar SpeciesCommon Ground Dove
Common Ground Dove is similar to female Ruddy Ground Dove, but Common Ground Dove is scaly on the breast and head and has an orange or pinkish base to the bill.
© Don Danko / Macaulay LibraryAruba, February 24, 2020Similar SpeciesInca Dove
Inca Dove is scaly overall and has a longer tail than Ruddy Ground Dove.
© Darren Clark / Macaulay LibraryTexas, March 04, 2020Similar SpeciesPlain-breasted Ground Dove
Plain-breasted Ground Dove is smaller, with purple spots on the wings but less spotting overall than Ruddy Ground Drove. Female Plain-breasted Ground Drove is darker and grayer overall than female Ruddy Ground Dove.
© Anthony Batista / Macaulay LibraryPanamá, July 30, 2023Similar SpeciesBlue Ground Dove
Female
Female Blue Ground Dove is larger than Ruddy Ground Dove, with a longer tail and cinnamon spots on the wings.
© Jason Vassallo / Macaulay LibraryMagdalena, December 31, 2022Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Pigeons and Doves(Order: Columbiformes, Family: Columbidae)
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