Northeast · Atlantic Flyway

Doves in Rhode Island

Doves in Rhode Island come down to 2 species with regular eBird records, led by the Mourning Dove. Together they account for 57,508 of the 2.3 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 2.5% of everything reported in the state.

The full list: Mourning Dove and Rock Pigeon. 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.

Mourning Dove, the most-reported of the doves in Rhode Island on eBird — Mourning Dove, the most-reported dove in Rhode Island. Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

2Species regularly recorded

2Year-round residents

0Seasonal visitors

57,508eBird records analysed

Doves in Rhode Island: 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.

Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraYear-round47,496 eBird records · 2.1% of state records

Rock PigeonColumba liviaYear-round10,012 eBird records · 0.4% of state records

1. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) — 47,496 records, 2.1% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.

2. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) — 10,012 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.

When to see doves in Rhode Island

Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, doves are most prominent in March, August and July and least in November and May. All of the 2 species are year-round — Mourning Dove and Rock Pigeon — so there is no month without them.

Attracting doves to Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island the dove most likely to turn up is the Mourning Dove, a year-round resident, followed by the Rock Pigeon. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.

All birds in Rhode Island →Feeder guides →Rhode Island native plants →

Doves in Rhode Island: FAQ

How many species of doves are there in Rhode Island?

2 species of doves have regular eBird records in Rhode Island (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Mourning Dove and Rock Pigeon.

What is the most common dove in Rhode Island?

The Mourning Dove, with 47,496 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Rock Pigeon with 10,012. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.

When is the best time to see doves in Rhode Island?

Any time of year — every dove regularly recorded in Rhode Island is a year-round resident. Their combined share of eBird records is highest in March, August and July.

Are there doves in Rhode Island?

Yes. the Mourning Dove (47,496 eBird records, year-round) and the Rock Pigeon (10,012 eBird records, year-round) are regularly recorded in Rhode Island.

Doves in Rhode Island: 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: Rhode Island 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.