Picui ground dove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Picui ground dove |
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| Conservation status | |
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Columbina
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| Species: |
picui
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The Picui ground dove or Picui dove (Columbina picui) is a small bird that lives in South America. It is a type of dove, part of the Columbidae family, which includes pigeons. You can find this bird in many countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
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About the Picui Ground Dove
How Scientists Classify Them
Scientists group animals together to understand them better. The Picui ground dove is related to another bird called the croaking ground dove. Sometimes, these two are even considered "sister species," meaning they are very closely related.
There are two main types, or "subspecies," of the Picui ground dove:
- C. p. picui
- C. p. strepitans
What They Look Like
The Picui ground dove is about 18 cm (7.1 in) long. It weighs between 42 to 59 g (1.5 to 2.1 oz), which is about as much as a few strawberries.
Adult male doves have a whitish forehead and throat. They have a thin black stripe in front of their eyes. Their head and neck are gray, turning brownish-gray on their back and tail. When their wings are folded, they look pinkish with two white bands outlined in black. Their chest is pinkish-gray, and their belly is white.
Female doves look a bit duller than males, with less pink. These differences are hard for humans to see. However, birds can see ultraviolet light, and they can easily tell the difference! Young doves are even duller and browner than the adults. The C. p. strepitans subspecies is generally grayer than the other type, with less pink.
Where They Live
The most common type of Picui ground dove (C. p. picui) lives in many parts of South America. You can find it east of the Andes mountains in Bolivia, Paraguay, and southern Brazil. It also lives south through Uruguay and most of Argentina. West of the Andes, it lives in central Chile. In winter, some birds fly north to eastern Peru.
The C. p. strepitans subspecies lives in a smaller area in northeastern Brazil.
Picui ground doves prefer dry areas. They like places with scattered trees, like the edges of forests or savannas. They also live in scrub forests, suburbs, gardens, and farmlands. In some parts of Argentina and Bolivia, they can be found high up in the mountains, sometimes as high as 3,700 m (12,100 ft). But in most places, they stay below 1,250 m (4,100 ft).
Behavior
Feeding Habits
Picui ground doves usually look for food on the ground. They eat seeds, including seeds from farm crops. They often forage in groups of 25 to 30 birds. Sometimes, hundreds of them have been seen feeding together in fields.
Reproduction and Nesting
In Argentina, the Picui ground dove's nesting season is from October to April. They build their nests in shrubs or trees. Sometimes, they even build nests on roofs! Their nests are made of twigs and lined with softer materials.
Both the male and female dove help to incubate, or warm, the two eggs. It is thought that they can raise two sets of babies in one season.
Their Song
The Picui ground dove's song is a series of soft, low cooing sounds. It sounds like "cuWOOo...cuWOOo...cuWOOo..." and the notes are spaced out evenly.
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has looked at the Picui ground dove. They have assessed it as being of "Least Concern." This means that the species is not currently in danger of disappearing. It is quite common in most places where it lives and is rarely hunted.
