A small, dainty, pinkish-fawn, ground-dwelling dove with an all-dark bill and two rows of iridescent green spots on the wing. In flight it reveals bright rufous wings and three gray bands: two across the back and one across the tail. A common but inconspicuous resident of drier savanna and thickets. Melancholic song is similar to that of other wood-doves. The similar Blue-spotted Wood-Dove differs by having a reddish bill with yellow tip, by having iridescent blue spots on the wing, and by preferring moister wooded habitats.