White-tipped dove

Leptotila verreauxi

(Photo from The Trinidad and Tobago Naturelink)

Common name:
white-tipped dove (en); juriti-pupu (pt); colombe de Verreaux (fr); paloma montaraz común (es); blauringtaube (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Texas and Mexico, through most of Central America and northern South America down to western Peru and central Argentina.

Size:
These birds are 26-29 cm long and weigh 155-215 g.

Habitat:
The white-tipped dove is mostly found in dry tropical forests, also using moist tropical forests, scrublands, second growths, pastures and arable land. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.800 m.

Diet:
They feed on various seeds and grains, fruits and other vegetable matter, also taking some small insects.

Breeding:
White-tipped doves can breed all year round. The nest is made of twigs and unlined. It is placed in a tree or scrub, on a coffee plants or sometimes at the entrance of a limestone cave, usually 1-3 m above the ground. There the female lays 1-2 white eggs which are incubated for 14 days. The chicks fledge 15 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and is described as common. The population in North America is increasing, but it represents just a very small portion of the global populations.