When disturbed, Mourning Doves burst into strong, rapid flight on whistling wings. The outer tail feathers have white tips with a black marking midway, so that the tail is edged with a black and white stripe. Wings show dark primaries, and wing coverts and scapulars are boldly spotted with black. The dove's crown, nape, and hindneck are slate in color, turning to grayish brown over the rest of the upperparts. The face is pinkish buff, the underparts have a pinkish wash, and the belly is buff-colored.
Legs are reddish in color.
The eye has a bluish ring of bare skin, and there is a small black spot and a larger iridescent purplish area on the side of the neck. This area is larger in males. Females have more brown coloring overall.