CreatureData

Inca dove

Columbina inca (R. Lesson, 1847)

LCLeast Concernbirds

The inca dove (Columbina inca) is a species in the family Columbidae, order Columbiformes. Recorded adults weigh 47.5 g to 48.8 g and live up to 7.8 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Inca dove (Columbina inca)
Photo: Elaine R. Wilson · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the inca dove

Weight
47.5 g – 48.8 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
7.8 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Granivoresrc for Diet
Longest recorded lifespan
13.3 years
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
human_modifiedsrc for Habitat
Egg incubation
14 dayssrc for Egg incubation
Young per litter or clutch
2src for Young per litter or clutch
Litters or clutches a year
4src for Litters or clutches a year
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Sedentarysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the inca dove live?

Not recorded

What is the inca dove?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The Inca dove or Mexican dove (Columbina inca) is a small New World dove. The species was first described by French surgeon and naturalist René Lesson in 1847. It reaches a length of 16.5–23 cm (6.5–9.1 in) and weighs 30–58 g (1.1–2.0 oz). The Inca dove has an average wingspan of 28.5 cm and a max wingspan of 32 cm. It is a slender species, with a gray-brown body covered in feathers that resemble a scaled pattern. The tail is long and square and edged with white feathers that may flare out in flight. The underwings are reddish, like other ground doves, and upon takeoff, the wings produce a distinctive, quiet rattling noise.

From the Wikipedia article “Inca dove” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Inca_dove&oldid=1380685521), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the inca dove endangered?

The inca dove is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the inca dove classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderColumbiformes
  5. familyColumbidae
  6. genusColumbina
  7. SpeciesColumbina inca (R. Lesson, 1847)

Synonyms Chamaepelia inca, Columbina inca inca, Scardafella inca, Scardafella inca dialeucos, Scardafella inca inca

Other names and names in other languages (53)
  • Aztec doveEnglish
  • يمام الإنكاArabic
  • tortoreta incaCatalan
  • holoubek inckýCzech
  • holoubek inkaCzech
  • holoubek mexickýCzech
  • Turtur IncaWelsh
  • InkadueDanish
  • InkatäubchenGerman
  • AztekentäubchenGerman
  • Inka-TäubchenGerman
  • Inkaa kolomboEsperanto
  • inkaa grundokolomboEsperanto
  • CoquitaSpanish
  • ConguitaSpanish
  • TorcacitaSpanish
  • Tórtola cola largaSpanish
  • TortolitaSpanish
  • Tortolita Cola LargaSpanish
  • Tortolita ColilargaSpanish
  • Tortolita MenudaSpanish
  • Tortolita mexicanaSpanish
  • asteegi tuviEstonian
  • inkakyyhkyFinnish
  • Colombe incaFrench
  • Tourteline incaFrench
  • meksički golubCroatian
  • inkagalambocskaHungarian
  • Tortora incaItalian
  • インカバトJapanese
  • peruvinė skardafelaLithuanian
  • inku zemesdūjaLatvian
  • Инка рок тыргӓдӹWestern Mari
  • Hasbídí yázhíNavajo
  • IncaduifDutch
  • kaktusdueNorwegian
  • Łuskowiak azteckiPolish
  • gołąbeczek azteckiPolish
  • انکا کگیWestern Panjabi
  • rolinha-incaPortuguese
  • rolinha-mexicanaPortuguese
  • Инкская горлицаRussian
  • Инкская земляная горлицаRussian
  • Земляная горлица-инкаRussian
  • dudlavec škvrnitýSlovak
  • Inka golubićSerbian
  • InkaduvaSwedish
  • mexikansk sparvduvaSwedish
  • นกเขาอินคาThai
  • İnka Serçe KumrusuTurkish
  • горличка-інка мексиканськаUkrainian
  • 印加地鳩Chinese
  • 印加地鸠Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the inca dove

Other species in the same genus Columbina.

LC, Least Concern
Scaled dove (Columbina squammata)

Scaled dove

Columbina squammata

Columbidae

CompareInca dove vs Common ground doveInca dove vs Blue-eyed ground doveInca dove vs Ruddy ground doveInca dove vs Croaking ground dove

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the inca dove?

An adult inca dove weighs 47.5 g – 48.8 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the inca dove endangered?

The inca dove is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

How long does the inca dove live?

The inca dove has a recorded lifespan of 7.8 years.

What kind of animal is the inca dove?

The inca dove (Columbina inca) belongs to the family Columbidae in the order Columbiformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Inca dove (Columbina inca). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/inca-dove

MLA

“Inca dove (Columbina inca).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/inca-dove.

BibTeX
@misc{inca_dove_2026,
  title = {Inca dove (Columbina inca)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/inca-dove},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}