Ruddy Ground-dove

Taxobox
name = Ruddy Ground Dove

---

image_caption = male
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Columbiformes
familia = Columbidae
genus = " Columbina"
species = "C. talpacoti"
binomial = "Columbina talpacoti"
binomial_authority = (Temminck, 1810)

The Ruddy Ground Dove, ("Columbina talpacoti"), is a small New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder from Mexico south to Peru, Brazil and Paraguay, and northern Argentina, and on Trinidad and Tobago. Individual birds can sometimes be seen in southwestern USA, from southern Texas to southernmost California, primarily during the winter months.

The Ruddy Ground Dove is very common in scrub and other open country, including cultivation. It builds a solid cup-shaped stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Incubation is 12–13 days with another 12–14 days to fledging. There may be a second or third brood.

Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general.

Ruddy Ground Doves are small short-tailed pigeons, 17cm long with a weight normally about 47g . Adult males have a pale grey head and neck, and rich rufous upperparts, black-spotted on the wing coverts. The underparts are paler brown, the tail is edged black, and the underwings are cinnamon and black. The female is grey-brown rather than rufous, and has less contrast between head and body than the male.

The subspecies "C. t. rufipennis" of Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago shows much more cinnamon on the underwing than the nominate"C. t. talpacoti".

Ruddy Ground Doves feed mainly on seeds. The call is a soft cooing "cur-WOO".

This species can be quite approachable. Males frequently threaten each other, and brief fights may ensue.

References

* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
* "Birds of Venezuela" by Hilty, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
*cite book
last = ffrench
first = Richard
title = A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago
edition = 2nd edition
year = 1991
publisher = Comstock Publishing
isbn = 0-8014-9792-2
* "A guide to the birds of Costa Rica" by Stiles and Skutch ISBN 0-8014-9600-4

External links

* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=1839 Ruddy Ground Dove videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
* [http://www.bird-stamps.org/cspecies/7211900.htm Stamps] (for Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Suriname) with RangeMap
* [http://vireo.acnatsci.org/search.html?Form=Search&SEARCHBY=Scientific&KEYWORDS=columbina+talpacoti&showwhat=images&AGE=All&SEX=All&ACT=All&Search=Search&VIEW=All&ORIENTATION=All&RESULTS=24 "Ruddy Ground-Dove" photo gallery] VIREO