One of the most common doves in North America, and also the most commonly hunted, the Mourning Dove is still an interesting specimen in its own right. Apart from its tell-tale, gloomy song, the Mourning Dove is the fastest flying dove, and also has a uniquely long tail that fans out to help it break and stabilize when landing.
They can be found all over the continental U.S. nearly year round. Their blue eye-ring and black spotting on their backs help to tell them apart from their larger cousins, the White-Winged Dove.