Common Ground-Dove
Common Ground-DoveCommon Ground-DoveCommon Ground-DoveCommon Ground-Dove

Common Ground-Dove

Columbina passerina

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Saguaro National Park
244 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
8,560 Verified sightings across all 53 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Common Ground-Dove

The common ground dove (Columbina passerina) is a small bird that inhabits the southern United States, parts of Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. It is considered to be the smallest dove that inhabits the United States. As its name suggests, the bird spends the majority of its time on the ground, but can still fly.

The common ground dove was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758, in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the other pigeons in the genus Columba and coined the binomial name Columba passerina. The specific name passerina is from the Latin passerinus meaning "sparrow-like". The species is now placed with other New World ground-doves in the genus Columbina that was introduced in 1825, by the German naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix. There are nine species in this genus including the Inca dove (Columbina inca) and the scaled dove (Columbina squammata).

There are 17 recognised subspecies: C. p. passerina (Linnaeus, 1758) – the nominate subspecies, southeastern United States C. p. pallescens (Baird, 1860) – southwest United States. Males are paler and females have more white on their... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Inca Dove
LC

Inca Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Columbina inca

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Ruddy Ground-Dove
LC

Ruddy Ground-Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Columbina talpacoti

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Mourning Dove
LC Endemic

Mourning Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zenaida macroura

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
White-winged Dove
LC

White-winged Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zenaida asiatica

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Band-tailed Pigeon
LC Endemic

Band-tailed Pigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Patagioenas fasciata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park 🇯🇲 Jamaica
~60%
2 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~50%
3 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
~30%
4 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
5 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
6 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
~30%
7 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
8 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
9 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
10 Los Haitises National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
~20%
11 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
12 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
13 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
14 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
15 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
16 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
17 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
18 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
19 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
20 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
21 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
22 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
23 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
24 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
25 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
26 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
<5%
27 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
28 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
29 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
30 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
31 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
32 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
33 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
<5%
34 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
35 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
36 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
37 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
38 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
39 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
40 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
41 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
42 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
43 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
44 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
45 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
Insufficient data
46 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
Insufficient data
47 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
48 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
49 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
50 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
Insufficient data
51 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
52 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
Insufficient data
53 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Common Ground-Dove in Saguaro National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Ground-Dove sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 244 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Common Ground-Dove in Saguaro National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for Common Ground-Dove in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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