PIGEONS AND DOVES   -   COLUMBIDAE

Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti talpacoti Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. What is that thing on it's beak? If it's just a clod of dirt, why does doesn't the silly bird wipe it off?

Scaled Dove Columbina squammata squammata North American birders will notice the extraordinary similarity of this species to Inca Dove (C. inca). Were the two to occur together, they would difficult to tell apart by sight. Their songs are different, with Scaled Dove having a three note song and Inca Dove only two notes.

Picui Ground-Dove Columbina picui strepitans Jeremoaba-Canudos road, Bahia state, Brazil. Picuí is a small city in NE Brazil, in the state of Paraíba. I suspect that's where this bird got it's name.

Black-winged Ground-Dove Metriopelia melanoptera saturiator Antisana reserve, Napo province, Ecuador. A ground-dove only found in páramo and puna at very high elevations in the Andes. It has a white patch on the underwing lining that is conspicuous in flight, but usually not visible otherwise.

Long-tailed Ground-Dove Uropelia campestris Caiman Lodge, Mato Grosso de Sul state, Brazil. A distinctive ground-dove primarily occurring in central Brazil. It is the only member of the genus Uropelia.

Picazuro Pigeon Patagioenas picazuro picazuro Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The most common and widespread pigeon in eastern South America. I have no idea where the name comes from.		Peruvian Pigeon Patagioenas oenops Bridge over the Río Marañon on the border of the departments of Cajamarca and Amazonas, near Balsas, Peru. A rare and threatened pigeon found only in mid-elevation areas of the Marañon drainage. It's almost endemic to Peru, but barely gets into extreme southern Ecuador.

Plumbeous Pigeon Patagioenas plumbea chapmani Tandayapa Bird Lodge, Pichincha province, Ecuador. It was too close to digiscope properly. It can sometimes be difficult to tell apart from Ruddy Pigeon (P. subvinacea) when not singing. As far as I know, Ruddy Pigeon never has a pale iris, which can be good clue, but not all Plumbeous Pigeons show a pale iris.

Short-billed Pigeon Patagioenas nigrirostris La Selva OTS, Heredia province, Costa Rica. The common pigeon in humid rainforest in Central America. The one on the right looks to be a juvenile.

Galapagos Dove Zenaida galapagoensis Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos, Ecuador. The only pigeon or dove on the archipelago.

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