Crested quail-dove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crested quail-dove |
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| at Walsrode World Bird Park, Germany | |
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Geotrygon
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| Species: |
versicolor
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The crested quail-dove (Geotrygon versicolor) is a special type of bird that lives only in Jamaica. It's a beautiful dove known for its unique crest of feathers on its head. This bird is part of the Columbidae family, which includes all doves and pigeons.
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What Kind of Bird is the Crested Quail-Dove?
For a long time, the crested quail-dove was thought to be the only bird in its group, called Geotrygon. But now, scientists have moved many other similar doves into this group too. This means the crested quail-dove is the only one of its kind (monotypic) within its specific species.
How to Spot a Crested Quail-Dove
Crested quail-doves are medium-sized birds. Males are about 27 to 31 cm (11 to 12 in) long. Females are a bit smaller, around 27 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in) long. They usually weigh about 225 g (7.9 oz).
Colors and Features
Male doves have a black forehead and a dull brown top of the head. The back of their neck is gray and has long feathers that form their special crest. The sides of their neck are shiny bronze or greenish-bronze. Their face is mostly gray with a wide, reddish-brown stripe on their cheek.
The gray color continues down to their belly. Their belly and sides are a chestnut brown. The upper part of their back and wing feathers are a shimmery reddish-purple. The middle of their back is bluish-purple, and their lower back and tail are greenish-black with purple shimmer. Their eyes are red, surrounded by bare gray skin.
Many female crested quail-doves look just like the males. However, some females might be a bit paler overall. They can also be browner on their neck and belly. Young doves are not as brightly colored as adults. Most of their feathers have rust-colored edges.
Where Does the Crested Quail-Dove Live?
The crested quail-dove lives only in Jamaica. This means it is an endemic species. You can find most of them in the Blue and John Crow Mountains. They also live in the Mount Diablo area and the Cockpit Country.
Preferred Home
These doves like to live in forests that are at middle to high elevations. They can be found as low as 100 m (330 ft) in Cockpit Country. In other areas, they live as high as 1,800 m (5,900 ft). They do not like flat, dry forests or areas where people grow crops.
How the Crested Quail-Dove Behaves
What Do They Eat?
The crested quail-dove looks for food on the forest floor. It searches through fallen leaves for seeds and fruits that have dropped. It probably also eats small insects and other tiny creatures.
How Do They Raise Their Young?
The breeding season for these doves is from March to June. They build their nests out of twigs. These nests are usually placed close to the ground in plants. Sometimes, they even build their nests right on the ground. A female dove usually lays two eggs at a time.
What Do They Sound Like?
The crested quail-dove has a special call to attract a mate. It's a short sound, usually with two cooing notes. They repeat this sound every so often. It sounds like "whuuOh..whuuw."
Is the Crested Quail-Dove in Danger?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed the crested quail-dove as Near Threatened. This means that while it's not in immediate danger, its population is decreasing.
Why is it in Danger?
The main reason its numbers are going down is because its home is shrinking. Forests where they live are being cut down. These areas are then used for farming or for building homes and other human developments. For this forest bird to survive, it's very important to protect the forests where it lives.
