From Opus

Zenaida aurita

Photo by Fulmar
Photo taken: Barbados.

[edit] Identification

28-30cm. Brown to reddish-brown over most of the plumage, with Lesser Antillean birds showing a paler abdomen. At the lower edge of the auriculars is a black mark similar to what is seen in many similar doves, and below it is an area of the neck with a metallic purple or pink sheen. A pale blue eye-ring shown in some field guides is inconspicuous. The folded wing shows some black spots, and the white tips to the secondaries are sometimes visible. Primary tips are blackish. Legs are short and pink while the bill is black.

In flight, when seen from above, the short tail with white tips combined with the white tips to the secondaries are destinctive. In addition, notice that all flight feathers are dark, while the rest of the body looks reddish-brown. The wings often give off a whistling sound in flight. From the underside, the Lesser Antillean subspecies has white underwing coverts, which combined with the white abdomen results in a rather white impression if the upperside is not seen.

[edit] Distribution

Zenaida Dove is found from coastal Northern Yucatán with islands through Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles with Grenada the Southernmost spot.

[edit] Taxonomy

The species is divided into three subspecies basically corresponding to each of these areas: salvadorii, zenaida, and aurita.

[edit] Habitat

Open and semi-open habitats. At least in Puerto Rico, it seem that the recently arrived White-winged Dove co-exists with Zenaida Dove without significant competition^[2].

[edit] Behaviour

Voice: One description is Coo-i oh oh oh where the second part of first syllable rises sharply, while all the rest is at the same tone. Sounds very mournful, has been compared to Mourning Dove.

It builds a flimsy platform on a tree or shrub, or in rock crevices and on grassy vegetation if no predators are present. 2 white eggs are laid and incubtated for approximately two weeks; the young fledge after a further two weeks. Parents feed the young pigeon's milk, a nutrient rich substance regurgitated from its crop.

The diet includes seeds, grains and insects. They often swallow fine gravel to assist with digestion, and will also ingest salt from mineral rich soils or livestock salt licks.

[edit] References

1. Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
2. RIVERA-MILAN, F.F. 1996. Nest density and success of columbids in Puerto Rico. The Condor 98:100-113.

[edit] External Links