Bridled Quail-Dove
Geotrygon mystacea
A smallish, chunky, ground-dwelling species of forests with dense leaf litter; prefers wetter habitats. Secretive but not shy; sometimes detected by the rustling of leaves it is strolling through. The rather similar Key West Quail-Dove lacks iridescent turquoise on the neck and has a reddish or purple upper back unlike Bridled. Ruddy Quail-Doves have less contrasting facial markings and the males have an entirely rusty back; some also sport a vertical white shoulder stripe. Song is a low, plaintive “hoo-hooooooo,” given at a single pitch with second note initially growing louder and then leveling off; first note sometimes omitted.
Identification
Specimens of bridled quail-dove from several islands had mean weights between 208 and 224 g (7.3 and 7.9 oz) with fairly large standard deviations. These data and measurements of various body parts suggest that the species "has low morphometric variance across its distribution."<p>Adult bridled quail-doves are mostly brown. They have a bold white stripe across the face below the eye and a small white patch on the throat. The male's head and nape are iridescent green which becomes blues and violets on the lower neck and upper back; females have less iridescence. The tail is dark brownish gray and the belly cream. The folded wing shows some cinnamon markings.
Taxonomy
The bridled quail-dove is monotypic. It has been suggested that it and the Key West quail-dove (Geotrygon chrysia) form a superspecies.
- Scientific name
- Geotrygon mystacea
- Authority
- (Temminck, 1811)
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Geotrygon
Range and habitat
The bridled quail-dove is or was found from Puerto Rico south and east through the Lesser Antilles to Saint Lucia. As of 2009, it was generally uncommon to rare throughout its range, and might have been extirpated from some islands. Privately owned Guana Island, one of the British Virgin Islands, appears to be the only site where is considered common. It inhabits forested mountain areas that have dense understory and much leaf litter.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Bridled quail-doves usually forage singly or in pairs and also sometimes in larger groups. They probe and toss leaf litter on the forest floor searching for seeds, fallen fruits, and invertebrates such as snails and insects. These birds have also been documented to eat Sphaerodactylus macrolepis, a lizard native to the Puerto Rico area.<p>The bridled quail-dove builds a platform nest of twigs in vines, shrubs, or trees. The clutch size is one or two.<p>The bridled quail-dove's call is "a relatively deep, resonating coo" described as "haoooo", "hoo-hoooooo", or "who-whooo". It also makes a "guttural croaking" call whose purpose is not known.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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