White-throated Ground-dove
Encyclopedia
The White Throated Ground Dove (Gallicolumba xanthonura) is a species of ground 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...

 in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 Gallicolumba
Gallicolumba
Gallicolumba is a mid-sized genus of ground-dwelling doves which occur in rainforests on the Philippines, Indonesia, and in the Pacific region. They are not closely related to the American ground-doves...

. Their distribution is on the Northern Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...

 inhabiting the native forests. It has become extirpated from Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 (to USA) by predation from the introduced brown tree snake Boiga irregularis. Single birds do turn up once every few years but are most likely individuals dispersing from the island of Rota
Rota (island)
Rota also known as the "peaceful island", is the southernmost island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the second southernmost of the Marianas Archipelago. It lies approximately 40 miles north-northeast of the United States territory of Guam...

. The birds are shy and tend to keep well hidden.
  • Habitat/Distribution: Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist ,Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Moist, Artificial/Terrestrial - Plantations
  • Threats: Habitat Loss/Degradation, Invasive alien species, Harvesting


Appearance

This species averages 26 cm (10.2 in) in length and weighs 58.5–140 g (2.1–4.9 oz). The male White Throated Ground Dove has a chocolate brown body with white head and breast while the females are shades of brown with no white on the body.
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