White-Tipped Dove
Leptotila verreauxi
In the USA, the White-Tipped Dove appears only in south Texas, but it is the most numerous dove in the Americas. Outside of southern Texas, these birds range south through the eastern and western coastal slopes of Mexico, Central America and much of South America. These birds spend a lot of their time wandering over the ground through dense undergrowth, foraging on seeds, fruits, and insects.
Today, science recognises 12 subspecies of White-Tipped Dove:
- L. v. verreauxi lives from Nicaragua to Venezuela.
- L. v. angelica lives from southern Texas to coastal Mexico.
- L. v. decolor lives from Colombia to Peru.
- L. v. brasiliensis lives in northern South America and the northern Amazon basin.
- L. v. decipiens lives in central South America.
- L. v. capitalis lives on Islas Marías, Sinaloa (Mexico).
- L. v. fulviventris lives in southeastern Mexico, from the Yucatan Peninsula, south to the Atlantic slope of Belize and Guatemala.
- L. v. nuttingi lives on the Pacific coast of Guatemala south to western Honduras and Nicaragua.
- L. v. hernandezi lives in Colombia’s Amazon basin.
- L. v. tobagensis lives on Tobago.
- L. v. approximans lives in eastern Brazil.
- L. v. chalcauchenia lives in southern Brazil, south through Uruguay and northeastern Argentina.
While visiting Texas in the spring of 2020, Laguna Atascosa provided my first meetings with White-Tipped Doves. Before I laid eyes on them, I heard their strange moaning calls. Not being familiar with this species, it took me a while to link the sounds to these doves. During my second trip to Texas in the winter and spring of 2021, I found them at several other locations in south Texas. By now, their calls were familiar to me.
19 Photos
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
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Description: When first I heard the moaning call of these birds, I was confused about who the singer was. I found them the most numerous dove on the reserve. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 9:54 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 420 mm, f/8.0, 1/500 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D504109-Atascosa-NWR-1 |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
|
Description: When first I heard the moaning call of these birds, I was confused about who the singer was. I found them the most numerous dove on the reserve. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 9:54 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D504117-Atascosa-NWR-1 |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
|
Description: When first I heard the moaning call of these birds, I was confused about who the singer was. I found them the most numerous dove on the reserve. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 9:55 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 440 mm, f/8.0, 1/320 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D504151-Atascosa-NWR-1 |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
|
Description: When first I heard the moaning call of these birds, I was confused about who the singer was. I found them the most numerous dove on the reserve. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 15:27 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D504799-Atascosa-NWR-1 |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
|
Description: When first I heard the moaning call of these birds, I was confused about who the singer was. I found them the most numerous dove on the reserve. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 17:36 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D505603-Atascosa-NWR-1 |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
|
Description: When first I heard the moaning call of these birds, I was confused about who the singer was. I found them the most numerous dove on the reserve. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 17:37 |
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Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D505648-Atascosa-NWR-1 |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
|
Description: When first I heard the moaning call of these birds, I was confused about who the singer was. I found them the most numerous dove on the reserve. Atascosa NWR was a short drive from my camp in Brownsville, Texas, and remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, when many other nearby birding hotspots shut down. |
Date Taken: 2020:04:20 10:37 |
|
Location:
Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 500 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D504436-Atascosa-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
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Description: When not exploiting the food at the feeding station, these doves skulked through the thick brush under the trees. It was ten days earlier when I paid my first visit to the Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville Texas. I tried to explore trails I missed last time here. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:28 11:34 |
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Location:
Sable Palms Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/500 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D5X5745-SabalPalms |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
|
Description: When not exploiting the food at the feeding station, these doves skulked through the thick brush under the trees. It was ten days earlier when I paid my first visit to the Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville Texas. I tried to explore trails I missed last time here. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:28 11:32 |
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Location:
Sable Palms Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/500 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D5X5719-SabalPalms |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
|
Description: White-Tipped Doves skulked the understory throughout the park, but would come into view wherever there were seed feeders. I spent Friday exploring a jewel of birding in south Texas; Estero Llano Grande State Park. I couldn’t visit this place last spring because of the pandemic. It is a wonderful place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:22 10:34 |
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Location:
Estero Llano Grande State Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 400 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D509573-EsteroLlano |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
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Description: Love was in the air for some of these doves. The National Butterfly Center held a “Big Sit” event on Sunday. They invited me to join the team, and in between shifts, I walked the grounds in search of photo opportunities. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:25 17:42 |
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Location:
National Butterfly Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1500 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D5X1724-NationalButterflyCenter |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
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Description: I heard the low, monotonous cooing from these birds throughout the park. This Wednesday tour of Estero Llano Grande State Park was only my second visit here. My first visit was on foot, but this day I rode my bike and explored a much wider area. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:24 11:38 |
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Location:
Estero Llano Grande State Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D5X5240-Estero_Llano |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
|
Description: Love was in the air for some of these doves. The National Butterfly Center held a “Big Sit” event on Sunday. They invited me to join the team, and in between shifts, I walked the grounds in search of photo opportunities. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:25 18:17 |
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Location:
National Butterfly Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D5X1941-NationalButterflyCenter |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
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Description: White-Tipps were the only doves I saw at the feeding station here. For my last expedition while camped in Palmview (Texas), I drove two miles to explore the National Butterfly Center near Mission. I found it was a lovely place to meet birds and some like-minded nature lovers. |
Date Taken: 2021:02:25 10:48 |
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Location:
National Butterfly Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D5X5502-NationalButterflyCenter |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
|
Description: Love was in the air for some of these doves. The National Butterfly Center held a “Big Sit” event on Sunday. They invited me to join the team, and in between shifts, I walked the grounds in search of photo opportunities. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:25 17:47 |
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Location:
National Butterfly Center |
|
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D5X1749-NationalButterflyCenter |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
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Description: I believe the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge has four large dove species year-round. Mourning Doves, White-Winged, and White-Tipped Doves are native, but the invasive Eurasian Collared Dove is not. The much smaller and shier Common Ground Doves and Inca Doves are also found here. |
Date Taken: 2022:08:30 9:53 |
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Location:
Laguna Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_8506356-LagunaAtascosa |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
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Description: The only doves I saw during my visit to Atascosa were White-Tipped. I spent the day in Laguna Vista and Laguna Atascosa Thursday. I didn’t find any unusual birds, but I enjoyed those that I met. |
Date Taken: 2021:02:04 12:34 |
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Location:
Laguna Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/16.0, 1/500 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_D5X8888-AtascosaNWR-TX |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
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Description: White-Tipped Doves are ground-loving birds that sometimes wander from the thickets at the National Butterfly Center, to let observers get a peek at them. |
Date Taken: 2022:09:24 17:43 |
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Location:
National Butterfly Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_8505947-NationalButterflyCenter |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi) |
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Description: To start my visit to ‘tropical Texas’ in 2024, I first stopped by Laguna Atascosa on my way to South Padre Island. It rarely disappoints me. White-Tipped Doves skulk through the understory in south Texas. |
Date Taken: 2024:04:14 12:58 |
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Location:
Laguna Atascosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/3200 |
File Name: WhiteTippedDove_8508638_LagunaAtascosa-TX |
| © 2024 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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