Help ID this spectacular Dove (or Pigeon?)

[bvar22]

We live in very rural West/Central Arkansas, just a few miles from the Oklahoma border
adjacent to the Ouachita National Forest. We have plenty of wild Morning Doves in the area.
We spotted this bird a few evenings ago in the woods behind the house, but too far away to make out any details.
She (already decided it was a "she&quot appeared again the next evening. We see no white birds,
so "she" stood out and was notice and comment worthy.


The next day, she appeared on the roof of our car parked next the house.
She is breathtakingly beautiful.
Her legs are red, and except for the markings on her back, she is pure white.


She didn't seen bothered by us watching her from the door less than 10' away.
She seemed familiar and comfortable with automobiles,
and appeared to be having fun as she slid down the windshield to the hood.




The markings on her back turned iridescent purple in the sunlight.


We are hoping she decides to stay,
and become one of our resident critters.
We keep Chickens, and let them Free Range,
sometimes feed them scraps and scratch food in the yard close to this car,
so maybe she will stay for the food.
Fingers Crossed.

Is this a particular variety of dove?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. I think it must be a pigeon

I must say it's the prettiest one I've ever seen!

[bvar22]

2. I suspect you are right.

I Googled "Dove vs Pigeon", and it turns out that they either overlap,
or as Collier/Audubon claim, the Urban Pigeon is a division of Doves called the Rock Dove.
http://www.collieraudubon.info/questions/doves.html

There are about 50 or more named subdivisions of "Doves".
In the past, I have observed Ringed Necked Doves in rural South Louisiana,
and they are close in appearance to the bird in my photo, but the Blue markings are smaller, and limited to a band or partial band around the neck, and I don't remember the color of the legs.

This particular bird seemed so comfortable around us, our automobile and cabin that I though she may be someone's pet, or a Homer that got lost.

Unfortunately, we haven't seen her for the last two days,
and small birds that are not full camouflaged and play in the open daylight are Hawk Bait around here.

She DID put on a show for us, we are grateful,
and hope she is well.

Thanks for the reply.

[fadedrose]

3. What does she appear to be eating? nt

[bvar22]

5. WE haven't observed her/him eating.

...but we scatter "Scratch Food" (cracked corn & other seed/grain) for our chickens in that area.

[cpwm17]

4. It looks like a man made breed of the Rock Pigeon (city pigeon)

Darwin used his study of different breeds of the Rock Pigeon to help develop the Theory of Evolution:

[bvar22]

6. Thank You.

It is moot now.
We haven't seen her for a couple of weeks.
We hope she made it to a safe place.

[Roy Rolling]

7. ?

Albino morning dove?