Eared Dove

Overview

The eared dove (Zenaida auriculata) is a New World dove that serves as a resident breeder throughout South America, ranging from Colombia to southern Argentina and Chile, as well as on offshore islands. It is a close relative of the North American mourning dove and forms a superspecies with it, the Socorro dove, and possibly the Galápagos dove.

Identification

• A 24 cm long bird with a long, wedge-shaped tail, typically weighing around 112 g.
• Adult males feature olive-brown upperparts with black wing spots, a grey crown, a black line behind the eye, and distinctive blue-black lower ear coverts.
• Underparts are vinous with a cinnamon-tipped tail, while the bill is black and legs are dark red.
• Females are duller than males, and immature birds are greyish-brown with pale barring.
• The species produces a deep, soft oo-ah-oo call.

Habitat

This species thrives in savannahs and open areas, including cultivated lands, and readily adapts to human habitation in towns and urban centres. It is present in South America from Colombia to southern Argentina and Chile, and on offshore islands south of the Grenadines. The eared dove is partially migratory, with movements driven by food availability.

Diet

Eared doves primarily feed on seeds and grains foraged from the ground, which can cause them to act as agricultural pests on crops like wheat, rice, sorghum, maize, and soybeans. Important seed sources include the savannah grass Echinochloa colona and Croton jacobinensis. Their diet may also include animal foods such as caterpillars, insect pupae, aphids, and snails.

Did you know?

More than 23 million eared doves are thought to inhabit the fields around Córdoba in northern Argentina, providing what is described as the last big-bag shooting experience in the world. These populations sometimes darken the skies, a phenomenon that recalls the historic numbers of passenger pigeons in North America.