No, a dove is not called a rain crow. Doves and crows are two different types of birds.
The term “rain crow” refers to the call of a bird that is thought to foretell rain. This term is used in some regions to refer specifically to the yellow-billed cuckoo. The yellow-billed cuckoo is a medium-sized bird with brown upperparts and white underparts. Its most distinctive feature is its long, downcurved bill which is yellow on the lower half.
Doves, on the other hand, are smaller birds with plump bodies, short legs, and a small head. They are most known for their soft, mournful cooing vocalizations. The common city dove seen in many urban areas is the rock dove. There are also mourning doves, white-winged doves, and other species. Doves are not known for forecasting rain with their calls.
So while crows and doves are both birds, they are taxonomically different. A dove would not be referred to as a rain crow. The term rain crow refers specifically to certain species of cuckoo known for their vocalizations before rain.
What is a rain crow?
As mentioned, a rain crow is a colloquial term used in some regions to refer to the yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus). This species is a medium-sized cuckoo found in North America. Its most distinctive feature is its long, downcurved yellow bill.
The yellow-billed cuckoo gets its name “rain crow” from its distinctive guttural call that people say predicts rain. This croaking kowlp-kowlp-kowlp-kowlp call is thought to sound like it is calling for rain. The rain crow name is used mainly in the southeastern United States where this species is most common.
Other folk names connected to rain forecasting for the yellow-billed cuckoo include storm crow, rain hawk, and rain robin. All these names reflect the common belief that when its raucous croaking call is heard, it is a sign that rain is coming soon.
Are doves known as rain crows?
No, doves are not known as rain crows. As mentioned before, doves belong to an entirely different family of birds than cuckoos.
Doves are members of the pigeon and dove family Columbidae. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short legs, and short beaks.
Some common North American species of doves include:
- Mourning dove
- Rock pigeon (domestic pigeon)
- Eurasian collared dove
- White-winged dove
- Common ground dove
- Inca dove
Doves are not known for their vocalizations predicting rain. Their most well-known vocalizations are soft, melancholy cooing sounds. The term rain crow has never been associated or applied to any dove species.
The only birds called rain crows are certain species of cuckoos, such as the yellow-billed cuckoo. The guttural, croaking call of the yellow-billed cuckoo is what led to nicknames like rain crow and storm crow.
What are some examples of rain crow folklore?
There are many examples of folklore and superstitions around rain crows in the regions where they are most common. Here are some examples:
- It was considered very unlucky to kill a rain crow. Stories told of people encountering misfortune after intentionally killing one of these birds.
- Farmers used to protect rain crows found nesting on their land. They believed the cuckoos brought the rain needed for crops to thrive.
- People imitated the rain crow call thinking it could bring rain in a dry spell.
- Sayings like “rain crow blue, clear tomorrow, rain crow cries, storm is nigh” were common.
- The number of times a rain crow called was said to indicate the number of days until rain would arrive.
- Rain crows abruptly stopping their call before rain led to sayings like “if the rain crow fails to cry till rain is nigh, it will clear.”
These examples show how strong the association was between the yellow-billed cuckoo’s call and imminent rainfall in rural folklore. The rain crow was revered for its perceived rain predicting abilities.
How can you distinguish a dove from a crow?
It is easy to distinguish doves and crows since they are very different types of birds:
Doves:
- Small to medium sized birds
- Plump bodies with short legs
- Small rounded heads
- Pointed tail feathers
- Cooing or whistling vocalizations
- Coloration: usually gradations of browns, grays, tans, and white
Crows:
- Medium to large songbirds
- All black plumage
- Large, stout bill
- Long legs and toes
- Broad, rounded tail
- Loud, harsh “caw” vocalizations
The most reliable way to identify the two is by listening to their vocalizations. Doves coo, while crows give a harsh, rasping caw. Visually, crows are all black, while doves have lighter plumage. Doves are also noticeably smaller and have rounded, plump bodies compared to lanky crows.
Can doves predict rain like the rain crow?
No, there is no evidence that doves can predict rain in the way that yellow-billed cuckoos are said to do with their “rain crow” call.
Doves may vocalize more frequently right before storms, but their cooing does not forecast rain in the same consistent fashion as the rain crow’s guttural croaking. There are no folklore tales or superstitions attributing rain predicting abilities to doves.
The link between cuckoos and rain predicting seems to be unique. No other family of birds has developed such a strong cultural connection to rainfall through vocalizations.
While many species may change behavior due to barometric pressure changes preceding storms, none have as strong a cultural lore around rainfall as the rain crow. So doves cannot be considered reliable rain forecasters like the yellow-billed cuckoo is in American folklore.
Conclusion
In summary, the term rain crow refers only to certain species of cuckoos, mainly the yellow-billed cuckoo native to North America. It is connected to old rural traditions and sayings linking the cuckoo’s call to imminent rainstorms.
Doves belong to an entirely different family of birds and have no link to rain predicting. Their soft cooing sounds are completely different from the rain crow’s croaking call. Regional folklore about rainfall consistently only mentions the vocalizations of cuckoos, not doves.
So while both are birds, it is inaccurate to refer to a dove as a rain crow. Only cuckoos have earned that meteorological nickname through the unique sound and tradition of their rain-foretelling calls.