This slender, coppery-brown pigeon with a dark patch on its ears, black markings on its wings, and white on its tail is native to Socorro Island in the Pacific Ocean. It prefers areas with dense, bushy vegetation, where the humidity and dense flora provide shelter and food.

This species tends to be monogamous, forming stable pairs during the nesting season. They build simple nests in trees or bushes, and both the male and female participate in caring for the chicks.

It was last seen in the 1970s, as it is a species extinct in the wild, primarily due to habitat loss and the human introduction of domestic cats to the island. The Socorro zenaida is one of the many species whose successful captive breeding by zoological institutions and subsequent reintroduction have allowed its survival in the wild.