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