Inca Dove
Columbina inca
Despite the name, the Inca Dove’s range does not meet the range of the former South American empire. Rather, its range more closely meets the Mayan or Aztec empire’s former occupancy in Mexico and the American Southwest. These warm weather loving birds will huddle closely in temperatures below 40°F, even stacking themselves into small pyramids.
Because Inca Doves at the south end of their range are darker, science once considered those birds as a separate subspecies. This is no longer the accepted view, and taxonomists now believe them to be monotypic.
In the last 100 years, we’ve seen the Inca Dove expand its range both northward and southward. They seem to benefit from a loose association with human settlement. Perhaps this is because of the availability of water that goes with our “modifications” to the environment.
If only given a quick or partial view, this small dove might be mistaken for a Common Ground Dove. Both birds show a scaled or scalloped head, neck and breast, but the Inca Dove takes the look to a whole new level, with scaled patterns extending over most of its body.
I thought I’d not met an Inca Dove until my trip to Texas during the spring of 2020. The encounter happened while I was in Marathon (Texas) visiting the Gage Gardens. Had it not been for the calls I heard from these birds, I might have dismissed them for Common Ground Doves. Recently I reviewed by Common Ground-Dove Gallery, and realized I had earlier misidentified Inca Doves from a 2008 meeting in Tucson. It was a good reason for me to update my records.
22 Photos
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
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Description: After spending most of the day in Big Bend National Park, I drove to Marathon Texas, where I discovered these Inca Doves at the Gage Gardens near the town center. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 16:06 |
|
Location:
Gage Gardens |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X3718-Marathon |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: After spending most of the day in Big Bend National Park, I drove to Marathon Texas, where I discovered these Inca Doves at the Gage Gardens near the town center. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 16:07 |
|
Location:
Gage Gardens |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X3795-Marathon |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: After spending most of the day in Big Bend National Park, I drove to Marathon Texas, where I discovered these Inca Doves at the Gage Gardens near the town center. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 16:08 |
|
Location:
Gage Gardens |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X3829-Marathon |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: After spending most of the day in Big Bend National Park, I drove to Marathon Texas, where I discovered these Inca Doves at the Gage Gardens near the town center. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 16:08 |
|
Location:
Gage Gardens |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X3845-Marathon |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: After spending most of the day in Big Bend National Park, I drove to Marathon Texas, where I discovered these Inca Doves at the Gage Gardens near the town center. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 16:11 |
|
Location:
Gage Gardens |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X4098-Marathon |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: After spending most of the day in Big Bend National Park, I drove to Marathon Texas, where I discovered these Inca Doves at the Gage Gardens near the town center. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 16:11 |
|
Location:
Gage Gardens |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 750 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X4139-Marathon |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: After spending most of the day in Big Bend National Park, I drove to Marathon Texas, where I discovered these Inca Doves at the Gage Gardens near the town center. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 16:12 |
|
Location:
Gage Gardens |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 750 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X4164-Marathon |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: After spending most of the day in Big Bend National Park, I drove to Marathon Texas, where I discovered these Inca Doves at the Gage Gardens near the town center. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:07 16:12 |
|
Location:
Gage Gardens |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 750 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X4180-Marathon |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: Breeze Lake RV Camp where I spent April in Brownsville, Texas, always had Eurasian Collared, Mourning, White-Winged and these Inca Doves I first thought were Common Ground Doves. The Inca Doves were the shyest. The camp has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border, with several feeder stations, tall trees and grassy areas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:25 10:18 |
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Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: IncaDove_D507226-Breeze-Lake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: Breeze Lake RV Camp where I spent April in Brownsville, Texas, always had Eurasian Collared, Mourning, White-Winged and these Inca Doves I first thought were Common Ground Doves. The Inca Doves were the shyest. The camp has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border, with several feeder stations, tall trees and grassy areas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:25 10:18 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: IncaDove_D507234-Breeze-Lake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: Breeze Lake RV Camp where I spent April in Brownsville, Texas, always had Eurasian Collared, Mourning, White-Winged and these Inca Doves I first thought were Common Ground Doves. The Inca Doves were the shyest. The camp has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border, with several feeder stations, tall trees and grassy areas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:25 10:19 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: IncaDove_D507250-Breeze-Lake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: Resaca de las Palmas in Brownsville, Texas opened to the public a few days before I left Texas on my 2020 expedition. Spring is a time for courting and these Inca Doves were acting accordingly. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:29 9:22 |
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Location:
Resaca de las Palmas |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: IncaDove_D509111-Resaca-de-las-Palmas |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: Inca Doves had eluded me this winter in south Texas, but I enjoyed their company in Edinburg. I had an errand to run in McAllen Texas on Saturday and took the opportunity to visit a new birding location in the area, called the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands. What a lovely place! |
Date Taken: 2021:02:06 14:11 |
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Location:
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/250 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X9624-Edinburg |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: Inca Doves had eluded me this winter in south Texas, but I enjoyed their company in Edinburg. I had an errand to run in McAllen Texas on Saturday and took the opportunity to visit a new birding location in the area, called the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands. What a lovely place! |
Date Taken: 2021:02:06 14:09 |
|
Location:
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/800 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X9605-Edinburg |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: Inca Doves had eluded me this winter in south Texas, but I enjoyed their company in Edinburg. I had an errand to run in McAllen Texas on Saturday and took the opportunity to visit a new birding location in the area, called the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands. What a lovely place! |
Date Taken: 2021:02:06 14:07 |
|
Location:
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/250 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X9573-Edinburg |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: Inca Doves had eluded me this winter in south Texas, but I enjoyed their company in Edinburg. I had an errand to run in McAllen Texas on Saturday and took the opportunity to visit a new birding location in the area, called the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands. What a lovely place! |
Date Taken: 2021:02:06 14:06 |
|
Location:
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/800 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X9543-Edinburg |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: Inca Doves had eluded me this winter in south Texas, but I enjoyed their company in Edinburg. I had an errand to run in McAllen Texas on Saturday and took the opportunity to visit a new birding location in the area, called the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands. What a lovely place! |
Date Taken: 2021:02:06 13:53 |
|
Location:
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/250 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X9404-Edinburg |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: The doves were amorous this morning. The camp where I spent April in Brownsville, Texas has a "Reseca" or Oxbow lake on its border, Several feeder stations, with tall trees and grassy areas. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:26 9:22 |
|
Location:
Breeze Lake |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: IncaDove_D508676Breeze-Lake-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: All my previous meetings with Inca Doves had been in Texas. I met this bird when I spent the early morning at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior, Arizona. The day was sunny and the birds were friendly. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:26 10:29 |
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Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: IncaDove_D5X5659-Boyce-Thompson |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
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Description: Reid Park in Tucson, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2008:11:27 13:49 |
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Location:
Reid Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD2685-IncaDove |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: Reid Park in Tucson, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2008:11:27 13:51 |
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Location:
Reid Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: JCD2695-IncaDove |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Inca Dove(Columbina inca) |
|
Description: Reid Park in Tucson, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2008:11:27 13:52 |
|
Location:
Reid Park |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: JCD2703-IncaDove |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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