South · Mississippi Flyway
Doves in Tennessee
Doves in Tennessee come down to 4 species with regular eBird records, led by the Mourning Dove. Together they account for 278,257 of the 8.7 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 3.2% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove and White-winged 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 Tennessee: 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) — 229,230 records, 2.6% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) — 41,426 records, 0.5% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
3. Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) — 7,384 records, 0.08% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
4. White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) — 217 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from February to September and peaking in February.
When to see doves in Tennessee
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, doves are most prominent in August, July and February and least in November and April. 3 of the 4 species are year-round — Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon and Eurasian Collared-Dove — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. White-winged Dove arrives around February and is mostly gone after September (peak February).
Attracting doves to Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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.
Doves in Tennessee: FAQ
How many species of doves are there in Tennessee?
4 species of doves have regular eBird records in Tennessee (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove and White-winged Dove.
What is the most common dove in Tennessee?
The Mourning Dove, with 229,230 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Rock Pigeon with 41,426. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see doves in Tennessee?
August, July and February, when the combined share of Tennessee eBird records belonging to doves is highest. Summer visitors such as the White-winged Dove arrive around February.
More birds in Tennessee
Doves in other states
Doves in Tennessee: 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: Tennessee 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.