Crested Quail-Dove
Geotrygon versicolor
A plump dove that inhabits dense, moist forests in foothills and mountains. Prefers dense leaf litter, but is sometimes found along trails and roadsides. Its namesake crest is short and swept back, so it is not always readily apparent. However, it can be told from Ruddy Quail-Dove by its larger size, mostly purple upperparts, gray underparts, and lack of a bold pale facial stripe. Song is deep “hoo-oo-hoo,” with emphasis on the middle segment.
Identification
Male crested quail-doves are 27 to 31 cm (11 to 12 in) long; females are 27 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in). They weigh about 225 g (7.9 oz). Males have a black forehead and a drab brown crown. The nape is gray and has elongated feathers producing the eponymous crest. The back and sides of the neck are metallic bronze or bronze-green. The face is mostly gray with a broad reddish buff malar stripe. The gray continues to the belly; the belly and flanks are chestnut. The upper back and wing coverts are iridescent reddish purple, the mid-back bluish purple, and the lower back and tail greenish black with purple iridescence. The eye is red, surrounded by bare gray skin. Many females look the same as the male, but sometimes they are paler overall and browner on the neck and belly. Juveniles are duller than the adults and most feathers show rust-colored edges.
Taxonomy
At one time the crested quail-dove was the sole member of genus Geotrygon. Most of what are now the other species in the genus were previously in genus Oreopeleia, which was merged into Geotrygon. The crested quail-dove is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Geotrygon versicolor
- Authority
- (Lafresnaye, 1846)
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Geotrygon
Range and habitat
The crested quail-dove is endemic to Jamaica. It is concentrated in the Blue and John Crow Mountains, the Mount Diablo area, and the Cockpit Country. It inhabits mid-level and montane forest in those areas, at elevations as low as 100 m (330 ft) in Cockpit Country and as high as 1,800 m (5,900 ft) elsewhere. It shuns the lowland, dry forest, and cultivated woodlands.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The crested quail-dove forages in leaf litter on the forest floor for seeds, fallen fruit, and probably invertebrates.<p>The crested quail-dove's breeding season spans from March to June. It places its nest of twigs near the ground in vegetation or sometimes on the ground. The clutch size is two.<p>The crested quail-dove's advertising call is "a short phrase of usually two cooing notes repeated at intervals...'whuuOh..whuuw'."
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Crested Pigeon
Ocyphaps lophotes
A common gray pigeon that is easily identified by the long pointed crest on the top of its head. Mostly pale gray with bright iridescence on wings. Feeds only on the ground. Takes flight with noisy wing-claps, and in flight has a wing-whistle which makes it sound like a wind-up toy. Common in open habitats and is often present in suburban areas.
Malawi Batis
Batis dimorpha
A cute, dumpy, colorful flycatcher-like bird that flits around in the mid-canopy and understory of forest, forest edge, plantations, and gardens. Males have a broad black chest band, yellow-orange eye, white stripe through the top of the wing, and white throat. Females have an orange eye, buff-and-white stripe through the top of the wing, and rufous chin patch. The song is a series of 8-9 plaintive steady piping “peooop” notes, and calls include buzzing grating “ddrz-drrzt-drrr, ddt-ddzt-drzt-drr”. Female Dark Batis is distinguished by its darker (rich rufous rather than white and buff) wing stripe. Male Dark Batis is very similar, but has a slightly longer tail and broader black breast stripe. Also similar to Chinspot Batis, but has darker orange color to the eyes, and female Malawi Batis shows paler rufous on the throat and buff tinges to the wing stripe.
St. Lucia Oriole
Icterus laudabilis
A sleek inhabitant of woodlands, especially those with palms. The male is black with an orange belly, shoulders, and rump. The female looks similar, but is duller in color while the immature is a dull yellow-green overall. No similar species occur within its range. Song is a rapid jumble of whistles and squeaks. Call is a scratchy “zzzhe.”
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