West · Central Flyway
Doves in Colorado
Doves in Colorado come down to 6 species with regular eBird records, led by the Mourning Dove. Together they account for 713,852 of the 16 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 4.4% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Mourning Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Rock Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Band-tailed Pigeon and Ruddy Ground 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 Colorado: 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) — 285,931 records, 1.8% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from March to October and peaking in August.
2. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) — 269,114 records, 1.7% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
3. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) — 142,614 records, 0.9% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
4. White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) — 10,324 records, 0.06% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
5. Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) — 5,789 records, 0.04% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to October and peaking in July.
6. Ruddy Ground Dove (Columbina talpacoti) — 80 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in October with a peak in October.
When to see doves in Colorado
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, doves are most prominent in August, May and July and least in November and October. 3 of the 6 species are year-round — Eurasian Collared-Dove, Rock Pigeon and White-winged Dove — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. Mourning Dove arrives around March and is mostly gone after October (peak August); Band-tailed Pigeon arrives around May and is mostly gone after October (peak July).
Passage migrants. Ruddy Ground Dove is reported mainly in October.
Attracting doves to Colorado 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 Colorado the dove most likely to turn up is the Mourning Dove. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Doves in Colorado: FAQ
How many species of doves are there in Colorado?
6 species of doves have regular eBird records in Colorado (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Mourning Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Rock Pigeon, White-winged Dove, Band-tailed Pigeon and Ruddy Ground Dove.
What is the most common dove in Colorado?
The Mourning Dove, with 285,931 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Eurasian Collared-Dove with 269,114. It is a summer visitor, present mainly from March to October and peaking in August.
When is the best time to see doves in Colorado?
August, May and July, when the combined share of Colorado eBird records belonging to doves is highest. Summer visitors such as the Mourning Dove arrive around March.
More birds in Colorado
Doves in other states
Doves in Colorado: 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: Colorado 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.