South · Atlantic Flyway
Doves in Florida
Doves in Florida come down to 9 species with regular eBird records, led by the Mourning Dove. Together they account for 1,491,292 of the 32 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 4.7% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Mourning Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Common Ground Dove, Rock Pigeon, White-winged Dove, White-crowned Pigeon, Inca Dove, Zenaida Dove and African Collared-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 Florida: 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) — 838,846 records, 2.6% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) — 209,132 records, 0.7% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
3. Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina) — 202,768 records, 0.6% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
4. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) — 145,047 records, 0.5% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
5. White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) — 76,773 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
6. White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala) — 18,405 records, 0.06% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from March to October and peaking in August.
7. Inca Dove (Columbina inca) — 166 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in July, August, September and October with a peak in September.
8. Zenaida Dove (Zenaida aurita) — 99 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in January, February and November with a peak in January.
9. African Collared-Dove (Streptopelia roseogrisea) — 56 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in May and June with a peak in June.
When to see doves in Florida
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, doves are most prominent in July, August and June and least in November and December. 5 of the 9 species are year-round — Mourning Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Common Ground Dove, Rock Pigeon and White-winged Dove — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. White-crowned Pigeon arrives around March and is mostly gone after October (peak August).
Passage migrants. Inca Dove is reported mainly in July, August, September and October; Zenaida Dove is reported mainly in January, February and November; African Collared-Dove is reported mainly in May and June.
Attracting doves to Florida 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 Florida 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 Florida: FAQ
How many species of doves are there in Florida?
9 species of doves have regular eBird records in Florida (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Mourning Dove, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Common Ground Dove, Rock Pigeon, White-winged Dove, White-crowned Pigeon, Inca Dove, Zenaida Dove and African Collared-Dove.
What is the most common dove in Florida?
The Mourning Dove, with 838,846 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Eurasian Collared-Dove with 209,132. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see doves in Florida?
July, August and June, when the combined share of Florida eBird records belonging to doves is highest. Summer visitors such as the White-crowned Pigeon arrive around March.
More birds in Florida
Doves in other states
Doves in Florida: 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: Florida 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.