It lives in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru and is usually found in grassy areas near tree lines but roosts in Polylepis forest and Puya colonies.

It moves to lower elevations in winter[2] The black-winged ground dove has two subspecies, the nominate M. m. melanoptera and M. m.

[3] The nominate subspecies of black-winged ground dove is a year-round resident from central Peru and adjacent Bolivia south through most of Chile and western Argentina.

[3] The black-winged ground dove inhabits páramo in Colombia and Ecuador and puna in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.

The black-winged ground dove's song is a "series of relatively high-pitched, double notes 'rrree-up...rrree-up...rrreee-up...'."

[1] It "[a]ppears to be generally common and locally numerous" and its bleak habitat is not heavily affected by humans except by cutting of Polylepis for firewood.