Yungas Dove

Overview

The Yungas dove (Leptotila megalura), also known as the white-faced dove or large-tailed dove, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae found in Argentina and Bolivia. It is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, although it is generally uncommon in much of its range.

Identification

• Measures 29 to 32 cm in length, with a grayish forehead and bluish-gray crown.
• Eye is very dark and surrounded by white feathers, with the rest of the face buff or pinkish buff.
• Upperparts and tail are dark ruddy brown with a purple gloss on the hindneck and upper mantle.
• Breast and sides of the neck are grayish pink, lightening to white on the belly.
• Song consists of four (occasionally five) mournful monotonous notes on the same pitch.

Habitat

Found in the Bolivian and Southern Andean Yungas on the east slope of the Andes of Bolivia and northwestern Argentina. It inhabits humid subtropical and tropical woodlands, including secondary forest, as well as semi-arid Prosopis woodlands, ranging in elevation between 900 and 2,800 m.

Did you know?

The Yungas dove and the grey-fronted dove are sister species, yet little is known about the Yungas dove's breeding phenology and foraging behavior.