West · Pacific Flyway
Doves in Arizona
Doves in Arizona come down to 9 species with regular eBird records, led by the Mourning Dove. Together they account for 1,448,889 of the 20 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 7.1% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Rock Pigeon, Inca Dove, Common Ground Dove, Band-tailed Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove and White-tipped Dove. Doves and pigeons are the plump, small-headed birds that walk rather than hop and feed almost entirely on seeds. The Mourning Dove is among the most widespread birds in the country; several other species are regional, and the Eurasian Collared-Dove and Rock Pigeon are introduced.
Doves in Arizona: every species, most-reported first
Every dove with at least 25 eBird records in the state from 2020–2024, most-reported first. The status label is derived from each species’ own monthly share of all state records.
1. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) — 623,818 records, 3.1% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) — 351,621 records, 1.7% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from March to August and peaking in July.
3. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) — 205,298 records, 1.0% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
4. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) — 149,180 records, 0.7% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
5. Inca Dove (Columbina inca) — 73,535 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
6. Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina) — 28,556 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to October and peaking in August.
7. Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) — 12,640 records, 0.06% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to September and peaking in August.
8. Ruddy Ground Dove (Columbina talpacoti) — 4,060 records, 0.02% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in October.
9. White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi) — 181 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in April and May with a peak in May.
When to see doves in Arizona
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, doves are most prominent in July, June and August and least in November and December. 4 of the 9 species are year-round — Mourning Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Rock Pigeon and Inca Dove — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. White-winged Dove arrives around March and is mostly gone after August (peak July); Common Ground Dove arrives around May and is mostly gone after October (peak August); Band-tailed Pigeon arrives around May and is mostly gone after September (peak August).
Winter visitors. Ruddy Ground Dove arrives around October and leaves after April (peak October).
Passage migrants. White-tipped Dove is reported mainly in April and May.
Attracting doves to Arizona backyards
Doves feed on the ground and on platform feeders, taking millet, cracked corn, and sunflower. A shallow bird bath matters as much as food; doves drink more than most songbirds.
In Arizona the dove most likely to turn up is the Mourning Dove, a year-round resident, followed by the Eurasian Collared-Dove. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Doves in Arizona: FAQ
How many species of doves are there in Arizona?
9 species of doves have regular eBird records in Arizona (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Rock Pigeon, Inca Dove, Common Ground Dove, Band-tailed Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove and White-tipped Dove.
What is the most common dove in Arizona?
The Mourning Dove, with 623,818 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the White-winged Dove with 351,621. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see doves in Arizona?
July, June and August, when the combined share of Arizona eBird records belonging to doves is highest. Summer visitors such as the White-winged Dove arrive around March. Winter visitors such as the Ruddy Ground Dove arrive around October.
More birds in Arizona
Doves in other states
Doves in Arizona: sources
Every number on this page comes from the EOD – eBird Observation Dataset published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and distributed through GBIF under a CC BY 4.0 license: Arizona records from 2020–2024, retrieved 2026-09-18. Species are drawn from the families Columbidae; only species with at least 25 records are listed, and a species is called a year-round resident when its monthly share of state records stays above 30% of its own peak in ten or more months. “Records” are individual eBird observations, so they reflect how often birders report a species, not a population count.