DOVES &  PIGEONS

Basically, there is no difference between doves and pigeons. According to John Tveten, "For the most part, however, "pigeon" is used for the larger species; "dove," for the smaller.  All have plump, muscular bodies and small, rounded heads that bob back and forth as they walk. Strong fast fliers, the larger species are popular as game birds.."

Inca Dove (Seen in The Woodlands, TX)
The Inca Dove is only 8 inches long (less than 2 ounces!). His feathers have dark edges, making them look like scales.  Originally found in the Rio Grande/south Texas areas, this bird has moved as far north as Austin. 
Mourning Dove (Seen in The Woodlands, TX)
The Mourning Dove, a beautiful bird, is the most frequently hunted bird in America.

According to the Cornell lab, "The song (or “perch-coo”) is given mainly by unmated males from a conspicuous perch. It’s a soft coo-oo followed by two or three louder coos."

Frankly, it looks like a bird with a 
bagpipe for a throat!

 
Common Ground Dove
Common Ground Dove - This is a tiny dove (6"), that looks a bit like an Inca dove in the front, and a mourning dove in back! He lives in South Texas, in the brushy rangeland area.
White-tipped Dove
White-tipped Dove - About the size of a mourning dove, this bird can be found nowhere else in the U.S. (lower Rio Grande Valley to Argentina). He's very shy and hard to photograph.
White-winged Dove (Seen in The Woodlands, TX)
White-winged Dove - There used to be several million in the lower Rio Grande around 1900, but with the clearing of land and hunting contests to see who could kill the most, their population declined.

This bird is found in the southern part of Texas.  It looks like a mourning dove, but has large white wing patches, and a shorter tail with white edges.
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Thought to have originated around India, the striking Eurasian Collared-Dove
was introduced to the Bahamas in the 1970's, and is now spreading throughout the U.S., 
greatly due to it's being kept a household pet and escaping into the wild.
Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon
This bird is commonly referred to as just "pigeon," the Rock Dove (or Rock Pigeon). Escaped domestic pigeons have produced what we generall see as the feral pigeon.

The true Rock Pigeon's wings are pale gray with two black bars on each wing. Their lower back is white.

This is a photo of a feral pigeon.