Picui Ground Dove

Overview

The Picui ground dove (Columbina picui) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae found across South America. It is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN and is generally abundant throughout its wide range.

Identification

• Size: Approximately 18 cm (7.1 in) in length, weighing between 42 and 59 g (1.5 to 2.1 oz).
• Plumage: Nominate adult males have a whitish forehead and throat with a narrow black stripe in front of the eye; the crown and nape are grey, transitioning to brownish grey on the shoulders and back. The folded wing appears pinkish fawn with two white bands bordered by black, while the breast is pinkish grey and the belly is white. Females are duller with less pink, and juveniles are duller and browner than adults.
• Vocalisation: The song consists of a series of evenly spaced, low-pitched cooing notes described as "cuWOOo...cuWOOo...cuWOOo...".
• Subspecies variation: The subspecies C. p. strepitans has grayer upperparts and wings with less pink than the nominate subspecies.

Habitat

This species primarily inhabits arid landscapes such as forest edges, savannas with scattered trees, mesquite scrub forests, suburbs, gardens, and cultivated lands. It is distributed east of the Andes in eastern and southern Bolivia, Paraguay, southern Brazil, Uruguay, and most of Argentina, with a smaller range in northeastern Brazil and central Chile west of the Andes. Elevational tolerance varies by region, reaching up to 3,700 m (12,100 ft) in Bolivia but rarely exceeding 1,250 m (4,100 ft) elsewhere.

Diet

The Picui ground dove forages on the ground for seeds, including cultivated grains. It typically feeds in groups of 25 to 30 individuals, though it has been observed in numbers in the hundreds in hemp fields.

Did you know?

While sexual differences in plumage are faint to the human eye, there are significant differences in ultraviolet reflectance between males and females, to which birds are believed to be sensitive.