Galapagos Dove
Zenaida galapagoensis
Attractive dove endemic to Galápagos. Quite distinctive, with reddish-brown head and breast, blue circle around eye, red legs, and bold black-and-white markings on wings and head. Favors arid areas with abundant cacti; usually not found in towns. Largely terrestrial, but sometimes perches up on a bush or cactus. Usually shows little or no fear of people.
Identification
The Galápagos dove grows 18–23 cm (7.1–9.1 in) long and weighs in at 67–92 g (2.4–3.2 oz). The long black bill is slightly curved downwards. The feet and legs are reddish with some purple. A boldly marked bird, the Galápagos dove has dark reddish-brown upperparts, a pinkish neck and breast, a buff-coloured belly, and brown wings, streaked with white and black. The skin around the eye is deep blue with a black border. The eye itself is brown. An iridescent path is found on the side of the neck. The scapular feathers and the wing-coverts are black with a white stripe in the middle running down the length; this makes the wings appear streaked. The underparts of the wings are grey to blue. The central tail feathers are brown and the outers are grey.<p>Females are quite similar to the males, but are smaller – as is the size of their iridescent patch. They also have darker back, wings, and tail.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies exist:<p>Despite the geographic isolation of the bird on different islands, there is significant gene flow between the different island populations, owing to frequent migration between islands. This has not entirely prevented the formation of subspecies however, as environmental factors such as wind currents, distance between islands, and even ocean currents affect where birds travel. Yet their impressive flight ability has ensured that the species remains fairly homogenous across the islands, unlike the Galapagos hawk (which has significant variations in size by island), or the intense speciation found in the less mobile Darwin's finches. It is also possible that the dove's omnivorous diet has prevented greater specialization. The presence of humans may be prompting population genetic changes to the populations on San Cristóbal Island and Santa Cruz Island, which has led to decreased allelic diversity.
- Scientific name
- Zenaida galapagoensis
- Authority
- Gould, 1841
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Zenaida
Range and habitat
They inhabit rocky lowlands, scattered trees, bushes, and cacti.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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