Lined quail-dove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lined quail-dove |
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Zentrygon
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linearis
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The Lined Quail-Dove (Zentrygon linearis) is a beautiful bird that belongs to the Columbidae family, which includes doves and pigeons. You can find this special bird in countries like Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
Contents
About Its Family Tree
Scientists study how different animals are related. The Lined Quail-Dove's family tree has been a bit tricky to figure out! It was once thought to be part of a different group of doves.
This bird has two main types, called subspecies. They are Zentrygon linearis linearis and A. l. trinitatis. Sometimes, scientists even think that A. l. trinitatis might be its own separate species.
What It Looks Like
The Lined Quail-Dove is about 27 to 29 cm (11 to 11 in) long. That's about the length of a ruler! It weighs between 230 to 284 g (8.1 to 10.0 oz), which is similar to a can of soda.
Male birds have a pinkish-tan forehead that turns purplish-brown on top of their head. A light gray line goes from their eye to the back of their neck. Their cheeks are a light tan color.
They have thin dark stripes near their beak and under their eyes. The feathers on their back are a reddish-purple, and the rest of their upper body is reddish-brown. These feathers can sometimes look shiny with purple or green colors.
Loose feathers on the sides of their neck make it look like they have dark lines or "furrows." Their chest is light gray, and their belly is a buffy brown color.
Their eyes can be yellow or orange-red, with a thin red ring around them. The skin around their eyes is blue. Their legs and feet are red. Female birds look very much like males, but their gray chest might have a brownish tint. Young birds are redder overall, with many brown and black stripes.
Where It Lives
The Lined Quail-Dove lives in different parts of South America. One type, Zentrygon linearis linearis, is found in Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains. It also lives in the Andes mountains in Colombia and Venezuela. You can also find it in Venezuela's coastal mountain ranges.
The other type, A. l. trinitatis, lives in northern Monagas and Sucre states in Venezuela. It is also found on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
These birds like to live in tropical lowland forests. They also live in evergreen montane forests, which are forests found in mountains. You can find them from sea level all the way up to 2,500 m (8,200 ft) high.
Behavior
Feeding Habits
The Lined Quail-Dove usually looks for food alone or in pairs. They search for seeds on the forest floor, which is like a carpet of leaves and dirt.
Reproduction
The breeding season for the Lined Quail-Dove in Colombia starts around April and can last until October. In Trinidad and Tobago, it begins even earlier.
One nest that was found was shaped like a deep cup. It was made of small twigs and lined with dead leaves. This nest was placed in the fork of a tree, about 3.7 m (12 ft) above the ground. The nest held two eggs.
What It Sounds Like
The song of the Lined Quail-Dove is a single, low-pitched sound. It sounds like "whoOOo," with the loudest part in the middle. Sometimes, two birds will sing at the same time, but at slightly different pitches.
Its Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) checks on how many animals are left in the wild. They have said the Lined Quail-Dove is a species of "Least Concern." This means it's not currently in danger of disappearing.
However, scientists haven't counted exactly how many of these birds there are. They believe the species is fairly common, but its numbers are slowly going down. One big threat to these birds is deforestation, which is when forests are cut down.
