Distribution

Figure 1. Mourning Dove distribution in North and Middle America

The Americas

Breeding Range

Widespread within a band across s. Canada from sw. and e.-central British Columbia east through s. Quebec into New Brunswick, Prince Edward I., and Nova Scotia (Fig.1;see Breeding Bird Survey data). Breeds throughout continental U.S. into Baja California, and south to Puebla, Mexico, and into n. portions of Middle America (Aldrich 1993, Howell and Webb 1995): e.g., in central Costa Rica (Stiles and Skutch 1989) and sw. Panama (Ridgely and Gwynne 1989). Also locally in Caribbean islands east to Puerto Rico and in Revillagigedo (Clarion) and Tres Marias I. off the Pacific Coast of Mexico (Aldrich 1993, Howell and Webb 1995). Rare fall migrant from British Columbia into se. Alaska (Kessel and Gibson 1978), but no recent evidence of breeding there.

Winter Range

Winters throughout most of breeding range except central Canada and n.-central U.S. (http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/htm96/cbc622/ra3160.html). Winters north to Newfoundland (B. Montevecchi pers. comm.), s. Quebec (Cyr and Larivee 1995), central Wisconsin (Robbins 1991), s. S. Dakota (S. Dakota Ornithol. Union 1991), w. Montana (Bergeron et al. 1992) and s. British Columbia (Campbell et al. 1990). Winters south to s. Baja California (Wilbur 1987) and throughout the remainder of Mexico (Howell and Webb 1995), and mainly along the Pacific slope of Central America south to Costa Rica and sw. Panama (Stiles and Skutch 1989, Ridgely and Gwynne 1989). Because breeding and wintering ranges overlap broadly, migratory and non-migratory individuals coexist in many breeding areas (e.g., n.-central Missouri; Chambers et al. 1962).

Outside The Americas

One record from Isle of Man, United Kingdom, 31 Oct 1989 (Alström and Colston 1991).

Historical Changes

At start of European colonization, present at least in scattered localities over most of what is now the continental U.S. and s. Canada. Large wintering flocks observed in se. U.S. in early 19th century (Brewer 1840). Progression of human settlement north and west was followed by range expansion and breeding success. Had spread northward into New Hampshire by mid-19th century (Kennard and Kennard 1967); generally throughout New England by 1900 (Reeves and McCabe 1993).

Further range expansion coincided with subsequent changes in land use. Dramatic range and density increases occurred in s. Canada as follows: Ontario, winter range, early 1950s into 1980s (Armstrong and Noakes 1983); Quebec, breeding and wintering ranges, 1950s into mid-1980s (Caron et al. 1986, Falardeau and DesGranges 1991); prairie provinces, breeding range, after 1900 (Houston 1986).

Unknown in Puerto Rico prior to 1935; has since become an uncommon resident there and on Culebra I. and Vieques I. (Raffaele 1989).

Subspecies macroura has enlarged its range somewhat in West Indies since 1880 (Bond 1956), which required inter-island movement.

Introduced on island of Hawaii 1962–1965, where small population persists (Scott et al. 1986).

Fossil History

Numerous early and late Pleistocene (Irvingtonian and Rancholabrean North American Land Mammal Age [NALMA], 10,000 years before present to 1.8 Megannum [Ma]) and prehistoric records for the living species from Florida to California, S. Dakota to Mexico, and from the Caribbean (Brodkorb 1971, Howard 1971, Parmalee and Oesch 1972, Parmalee 1977, Campbell 1980, Ritchie 1980, Carr 1981, Ferg and Rea 1983, Mead et al. 1984, Rea and Hargrave 1984, Steadman 1984, Emslie 1985, 1988, 1992, Voorhees and Corner 1985).

Zenaida prior (Brodkorb 1971) is from the early Blancan (NALMA, 3.0 to 4.5 Ma), Rexroad Formation, in Meade Co., KS, and is the earliest fossil dove. It is about the same size as Z. macroura. Recently, Bickert (1990) reported Z. prior from the Big Sandy Formation of Arizona.