A White-winged Dove was observed today at 4:00 pm, about 18.5 km north of Smooth Rock Falls along highway 634.
At about 4:00, I saw a bird fly up and perch in a tree on the west side of the road. My first impression was not of a Mourning Dove. It seemed heavier, chunkier, more like a duck or a Sharp-tailed Grouse in flight. When it perched, it was clearly a Dove, shaped like a Mourning Dove, but its beak looked bigger/heavier and it had white markings along the bottom edges of its folded wings. It had a black comma shape behind its face. I watched it for a minute or two, then it flew straight down the road for about 20 m, and veered into the trees on the east side of the road. As it flew, I could clearly see the white markings on its wings and the white edges on a tail that was shorter and broader than that of a Mourning Dove. I did not have a camera, and wasn't close enough to get a decent picture with my phone. If anyone goes looking for it, you should be aware that there is a bear in the vicinity. Smooth Rock Falls is located on highway 11, about 54 km northwest of Cochrane, about 850 km from Toronto. Angie Williams -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Ontbirds is reserved for sightings of provincially rare birds. To post a message on Ontbirds, send an email to: birdalert@ontbirds.ca. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Ontbirds Moderators by email at birdal...@ofo.ca. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Ontario birders should be taking extra precautions and following local, provincial, and federal regulations regarding physical distancing and non-essential travel. To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
