This is a shy species, more often heard than seen. This one was attracted to a feeding station where we were able to photograph it from a blind. Notice the red legs and unmarked face and neck. In the US, this species was formerly confined to extreme southern Texas but has expanded northward and is now apparently regular locally in the Texas Hill Country. Early authors called this bird the "White-fronted Dove" because of the white forehead in some populations. The name "white-tipped" comes from the white tips to its tail feathers which is a more consistent feature although not usually visible in the field. This is the northernmost race "L. v. angelica" resident from southern Texas south to northern Veracruz. It is characterized by a combination of white belly and gray crown. Some authors have suggested that this species should be split into two or more species based on supposed differences in orbital ring color, but this difference is inconsistent and variable.
