Common Ground-Dove

Columbina passerina

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderColumbiformes (Pigeons and Doves)
FamilyColumbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
GenusColumbina (Small Ground Doves)
SpeciesColumbina passerina (Common Ground-Dove)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Tikal National Park

1 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026

8,560 Verified sightings across all 53 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ 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 Tikal National Park

Columbina talpacoti

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Columbina minuta

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Patagioenas nigrirostris

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Leptotila plumbeiceps

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Patagioenas speciosa

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

LC Endemic

Leptotila verreauxi

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

LC Endemic

Geotrygon montana

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Claravis pretiosa

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Patagioenas cayennensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

LC Endemic

Patagioenas flavirostris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Zenaida asiatica

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Leptotila cassinii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

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

← Back to Tikal National Park

Common Ground-Dove

About the Common Ground-Dove

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Ruddy Ground-Dove

Plain-breasted Ground-Dove

Short-billed Pigeon

Gray-headed Dove

Scaled Pigeon

White-tipped Dove

Ruddy Quail-Dove

Blue Ground-Dove

Pale-vented Pigeon

Red-billed Pigeon

White-winged Dove

Gray-chested Dove

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found