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;Zenaida auriculata | ;Zenaida auriculata | ||
Previously known as Violet-eared Dove | Previously known as Violet-eared Dove | ||
| − | [[Image: | + | [[Image:IMG 5102.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Steve<br />Photo taken: Barbados]] |
==Description== | ==Description== | ||
Revision as of 22:33, 8 January 2008
- Zenaida auriculata
Previously known as Violet-eared Dove
Description
The Eared Dove is 24 cm long with a short tail, and weighs normally about 112 g. Adult males have mainly olive-brown upperpart plumage, with black spots on the wings; on the side of the neck is a spot with golden to metallic-purple color. The head has a grey crown, black line going diagonally down behind the eye, and a second paralel line further down the side of the head. At least on some subspecies, the area behind the eye shows a violet color. The underparts including the undertail coverts are brown, and the tail is tipped with cinnamon. The bill is black and the legs dark red.
The female is duller than the male, and immatures are greyish-brown, very dull, with pale barring.
Identification
The Eared dove is completely lacking the white colors shown by Zenaida Dove (especially in flight). Zenaida Dove is overlapping at least part of the range and has a very similar overall build.
Distribution
The Eared Dove, Zenaida auriculata, is a New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder in South America from Argentina and Chile to Colombia and Venezuela, and on the Caribbean islands including Netherlands Antilles and the Lesser Antilles north to St. Lucia and Barbados. Records exist for observations on Martinique. It may be a relatively recent colonist of Tobago and Trinidad while it is certain that it only recently colonized St. Lucia and Barbados.
It appears to be partially migratory, but details are little known, although migration may be driven by food supplies.
Taxonomy
The Eared Dove is a close relation of the North American Mourning Dove and some authorities describe them as forming a superspecies. It is divided into 11 subspecies that share the range described.
Habitat
The Eared Dove is common to abundant in savannahs and other open areas, including cultivation, and it readily adapts to human habitation, being seen on wires and telephone posts near towns in Trinidad and Venezuela, and feeding near beach resorts in Tobago.
Behavior
Its flight is high, fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. It also has a breeding display with a steep climb and semi-circular glide down to its original perch. The call is a deep soft oo-ah-oo.
It builds a small stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. These hatch in 12–14 days with another 9 days to fledging.
Eared Doves feed mainly on seed taken from the ground, but will take other items such as soaked bread. They can be agricultural pests. This is a gregarious bird when not feeding, and forms flocks especially at migration time or at communal roosts
