Camo King: Meet the Inca Dove
Have a war to fight in a desert? This small, tan bird might be your new best friend.
If white doves were made to be symbols of peace, the tan-colored Inca Dove was made for covert ops in the Middle East. Its color pattern lets it hide in a variety of environments, including in my parent’s backyard among the dirt and patchy grass.
A typical Texas summer drought might make for sparse cover, but that is no problem for this bird, no sir. Its scale-like feathers even look military-esque. Sure, this dove is probably fragile—but how do you know it’s not covered in Teflon-grade armor?
Besides, in addition its desert camouflage, the Inca Dove tends to stick near whatever concealment is available. Bushes, grass, other birds—all serve just fine. Oh, and it will fly off if you get too close.
This bird knows it is hard to find. While visiting family back in San Antonio, I was only able to capture a few photos of it. If you’ve ever read about the Fremen in the sci-fi novel Dune or seen the movie (I highly recommend both), then you have an idea about the Inca Dove. In fact, the Inca Dove allegedly has a call that sounds like the words “No Hope.” Which, of course, is great way to mock one’s enemies. Also, Inca Doves have red eyes that—according to the Cornell Lab—actually get brighter when they feel threatened. Pretty intense.
These birds are ground foragers, so you’ll likely seem them bopping their heads around as they look for food. They are comfortable in urban areas and don’t mind being around humans. However, they hate the cold and so maybe my hype about their military readiness doesn’t hold much water…
Overall, the Inca Dove is a fun bird that can only be found year-round in the Southwestern United States (and all of Mexico too).
Until next (Bird!) time,
Grover