Not sure which doves you can hunt in Alabama? Here's a handy photo identification guide.
Legal Game Birds
- Brown with dark spots on the wings and back
- Long, pointed, white-edged tail
- Common throughout Alabama

Mourning Dove courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- White stripe on folded wing
- White-tipped tail
- Occasionally seen in Alabama

White-winged Dove courtesy of Jeff Schultes
Unprotected Species -- Do not count toward your bag limit
- Light gray with black half collar around the base of neck
- Squared off tail
- Increasingly common in Alabama

Eurasian Collared-Dove courtesy of Susan Allison Lee
- Large blue-gray bird with small head
- Two broad, black stripes on wings
- Common throughout Alabama

Rock Dove courtesy of Assoonas, Dreamstime.com
Protected Species -- Cannot Hunt
- Small, stocky bird with short, squared tail
- Sandy color with brown spots on wings
- Uncommon to rare in Alabama

Common Ground Dove courtesy of James W. Hybart III