Help with dove, Lachay, Lima, Peru (1 Viewer)

I would appreciate any help to ID this dove, picture taken today at Lachay National Reserve in Lima, Peru.

The tail was very large, graduated (being the central tail feather larger and the external ones shorter) with the tip on each tail feather white colored.

Any would be appreciated.

Alejandro

It would appear to be an Eared Dove

Hi Mark,

What about the spots on the wings almost not present and the shape and color formation of the tail I mention.

Zenaida auriculata has a medium sized tail, square shaped with the external feathers white and the 2 central ones dark colored, this as mention on the original post the tail was very large, graduated (being the central tail feather larger and the external ones shorter) with the tip on each tail feather white.

This things makes me think of other species completely diffirent or maybe an hybrid I am not sure but the tail shape will rule out Eared Dove. For comparison reason tail shape is similar to Zenaida macroura (Mourning Dove).

Regards,

Alejandro

The tail looks too short for Mourning Dove. Could the graduated effect of the tail just be because it is an Eared Dove currently replacing its tail feathers?

Not a Mourning Dove. I agree that the tail seems too short and a MoDo would have a lot more spots on the wing. Also a the neck looks short, the blue-grey on the crown looks wrong, as does the little patch of blue below the wing.

Hi Jeff, I am not saying this dove is a Mourning Dove, what I want to say is that the shape tail on this dove was similiar to the tail shape on a Mourning Dove (graduated tail). Another difference with the Mourning Dove that I mention was that all the feathers has a white tip and the Mourning has only on the external ones not on the centrals.

Now, as far as I know and see the Eared Dove has a square tail and that was the main reason that make me ask about the ID of this dove. Also the color of the crown makes me think of any other species but Eared Dove and the color of the overall body was to rufous completely different as the other hundreds eared dove that were on the same spot with this birds.

I will try to get a picture of the tail of this bird, hopefully it will be there next week that I can go to Lachay National Reserve again.

Regards,

Alejandro

OK, I misunderstood.

I haven't seen that many eared doves myself, so I can't speak to your other concerns, although I do agree it has a MoDo type tail shape.

Good luck finding it again and getting it IDed.

Looks to be an Eared Dove

the crown and black line below the cheeks narrow the possibilites down a lot as the only other species with the black line is Zenaida meloda but that lacks the blue-grey crown etc. That species has prominent white in the wings too giving rise to its other name White-winged Dove.

Eared Doves do have slightly graduated tails with white tips (more central ones are greyer)

Tim