Blue Ground Dove
Encyclopedia
The Blue Ground Dove is a small New World
tropical dove
. It is a resident breeder from southeastern Mexico
to northwestern Peru
and northern Argentina
, and on Trinidad
.
The Blue Ground Dove is relatively common in open woodland, forest edges, clearings and roadsides, especially in more humid areas. It is found from sea level to about 1200 m altitude. It builds a flimsy dish nest
of twigs 1-11 m high in a tree and lays two white eggs.
Blue Ground Doves are small pigeons, 20 cm long with a weight of 65-72 g . Adult males have blue-grey upperparts and paler grey underparts, becoming grey-white on the face. The flight feathers and outer tail feathers are blackish, and the wings are boldly spotted black (these spots often forming distinct bands). The iris is red or yellow, the bare eyering is green, and the legs are flesh-pink. The female has a grey-brown head neck and breast, becoming pale blue-grey on the underwings and belly. The back is ruddy brown, contrasting with the chestnut rump and tail. The spots in the wings are chestnut-brown. Young birds resemble the female, but have ruddy scaling on the back.
In most of its range, the male is unlikely to be confused with other species, but can locally be confused with the other members of the genus Claravis
. The female also resembles the females of the other members of the genus Claravis, but at most localities it is more likely to be confused with the female Ruddy Ground-dove, which is smaller and has blackish (not chestnut-brown) markings on the wings. In most regions where the Blue Ground Dove occurs, a blue grey and a brown bird flying through the trees together is bound to be this species.
Blue Ground Doves occur singly, in pairs or sometimes in small groups. They feed mainly on the ground on seeds and small insect
s, and take grit. The male’s song, given from the treetops, is a loud boop.
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
tropical dove
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
. It is a resident breeder from southeastern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to northwestern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and northern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and on Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
.
The Blue Ground Dove is relatively common in open woodland, forest edges, clearings and roadsides, especially in more humid areas. It is found from sea level to about 1200 m altitude. It builds a flimsy dish nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
of twigs 1-11 m high in a tree and lays two white eggs.
Blue Ground Doves are small pigeons, 20 cm long with a weight of 65-72 g . Adult males have blue-grey upperparts and paler grey underparts, becoming grey-white on the face. The flight feathers and outer tail feathers are blackish, and the wings are boldly spotted black (these spots often forming distinct bands). The iris is red or yellow, the bare eyering is green, and the legs are flesh-pink. The female has a grey-brown head neck and breast, becoming pale blue-grey on the underwings and belly. The back is ruddy brown, contrasting with the chestnut rump and tail. The spots in the wings are chestnut-brown. Young birds resemble the female, but have ruddy scaling on the back.
In most of its range, the male is unlikely to be confused with other species, but can locally be confused with the other members of the genus Claravis
Claravis (genus)
Claravis is a genus that contains three species of ground doves that live in the Neotropics, with ranges in Central America and South America. Claravis doves have red eyes and pink legs, and the plumages of the males are primarily light grey-blue, and the females are primarily brown. Both sexes...
. The female also resembles the females of the other members of the genus Claravis, but at most localities it is more likely to be confused with the female Ruddy Ground-dove, which is smaller and has blackish (not chestnut-brown) markings on the wings. In most regions where the Blue Ground Dove occurs, a blue grey and a brown bird flying through the trees together is bound to be this species.
Blue Ground Doves occur singly, in pairs or sometimes in small groups. They feed mainly on the ground on seeds and small insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, and take grit. The male’s song, given from the treetops, is a loud boop.