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Zebra dove

Geopelia striata · Doves and pigeons · Migratory game birds

Zebra dove (Geopelia striata): Small, slender dove 20-23 cm with a long, narrow tail. Upperparts brownish-grey with black-and-white barring; underparts pinkish with black bars on the sides of the neck, breast and belly. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and dateOpen the zebra dove map

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Zebra dove perched on a branch
Photo by You Le on Unsplash
Scientific name
Geopelia striata
Family
Columbidae
In North America
Introduced
Range
Native from southern Thailand and the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra and Java. Introduced to Hawaii in 1922 and now on all main islands, where it is one of the most abundant birds; established on other Pacific and Indian Ocean islands. Not established on the North American mainland in these sources.
Biology

How to identify it

Small, slender dove 20-23 cm with a long, narrow tail. [1][2][3]

Upperparts brownish-grey with black-and-white barring; underparts pinkish with black bars on the sides of the neck, breast and belly. [1][2][3]

Blue-grey face with bare blue skin around the eyes. [1][2][3]

White tips to the tail feathers. [1][2][3]

Juveniles duller and paler than adults. [1][2][3]

Compared with the peaceful dove: Australian/New Guinea species that some authors have treated as part of the same species; not found in North America (NatureServe, Bishop Museum). [1][2][3]

Compared with the barred dove: Lesser Sundas/Moluccas species sometimes lumped with Zebra Dove; not found in North America (Bishop Museum). [1][2][3]

Field notes

  • Identification Confirm a zebra dove before you act. Compared with the peaceful dove: Australian/New Guinea species that some authors have treated as part of the same species; not found in North America (NatureServe, Bishop Museum).[1][2][3]
Field knowledge

Where it lives

Scrub, farmland and open lowland country; common in parks and gardens. In Hawaii found mainly in dry lowlands, agricultural fields and suburban and urban areas, up to about 1000 m and occasionally 2300 m. [1][2][3]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Forages alone or in pairs on bare ground, short grass or roads, scurrying with rodent-like movement [1][2][3]

Eats small grass and weed seeds, plus insects and other small invertebrates [1][2][3]

Call is a series of soft, staccato cooing notes [1][2][3]

In Hawaii it can be quite tame around parks and outdoor eating areas, and flocks can gather at water holes in dry areas [1][2][3]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for legal take

These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Native from southern Thailand and the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra and Java. Introduced to Hawaii in 1922 and now on all main islands, where it is one of the most abundant birds; established on other Pacific and Indian Ocean islands. Not established on the North American mainland in these sources.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. Bishop Museum · reviewed 2026-09-30

    Bishop Museum

  2. Wikipedia · reviewed 2026-09-30

    Wikipedia

  3. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe