The white-winged dove (*Zenaida asiatica*) is a robust, medium-sized dove native to the American Southwest, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, and in recent decades has dramatically expanded its range northward and eastward into urban and suburban areas across the southern United States. It is a handsome bird with warm brown and gray plumage, a rounded tail with white corners, and most distinctively, bold white patches along the edges of its wings that form a bright, eye-catching stripe when the bird is perched and flash prominently in flight — the feature for which it is named. Its bare facial skin forms a striking blue eye ring, and it sports a small black slash mark on the lower cheek, adding to its distinguished appearance. The white-winged dove has a deep, rhythmic cooing call often described as sounding like "who cooks for you," a familiar sound across the desert Southwest. It is closely associated with saguaro cacti, upon which it feeds heavily and serves as a critical pollinator and seed disperser, and it also readily visits backyard feeders and agricultural areas, contributing to its successful adaptation to human-altered landscapes. It travels in large, noisy flocks and is an important game bird across much of its range.
