Maroon-chested Ground Dove

Overview

The maroon-chested ground dove (Paraclaravis mondetoura) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae native to the American Cordillera of Central and South America. It is currently assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, although it is considered uncommon to rare and potentially at risk from heavy deforestation.

Identification

• Males measure 18 to 24 cm in length with a dark purple breast, grayish white forehead and face, and blue-gray upperparts featuring two broad dark bars on the folded wings.
• Females are brown overall with a cinnamon face, measuring 19 to 22 cm, with less distinct dark wing bars.
• Both sexes have orange eyes surrounded by bare yellow skin and weigh between 89 and 95 g.
• The song consists of a series of low-pitched, slightly rising bisyllable coos described as 'cuWOOP.....cuWOOP.....cuWOOP...'.

Habitat

Found discontinuously from southeastern Mexico to Peru and Bolivia, this species inhabits dense undergrowth in wet montane forest, its edges, and thickets of secondary forest. It is strongly associated with bamboo and occurs at elevations ranging from 900 m to 3,000 m depending on the location.

Diet

The maroon-chested ground dove forages on the ground for seeds and fallen fruit, usually alone or in pairs, though flocks of up to 15 birds have been observed. Bamboo seeds are a major component of its diet, and the bird remains in an area only as long as its local bamboo is seeding.

Did you know?

Little is known about its breeding, but the only described nest was a simple platform containing two eggs, placed in Chusquea bamboo in the mountains of southeastern Ecuador.