Purple-winged ground dove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Purple-winged ground dove |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Paraclaravis
|
| Species: |
geoffroyi
|
 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Claravis godefrida |
|
The purple-winged ground dove (Paraclaravis geoffroyi) is a very rare type of dove. It lives in the Atlantic forest in parts of south-eastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and north-eastern Argentina. This special bird mostly lives near bamboo plants. Sadly, it is a critically endangered species, which means it is in danger of disappearing forever. Its home is shrinking, and some people worry it might already be gone.
Contents
What Makes This Dove Special?
A Nomadic Life
The purple-winged ground dove is a nomadic bird. This means it does not stay in one place. It moves around to find its favorite food. This dove follows certain types of Guadua bamboo plants. These bamboo plants have special "masting" events. During masting, they produce lots of seeds all at once.
Bamboo Eaters
The dove mainly eats seeds from takuarusu (G. chacoensis) and yatevó (G. trinii) bamboo. These bamboo types grow in the Atlantic forest. The maroon-chested ground-dove is a close relative. It also eats bamboo, but in the Andes mountains.
Why Are They Disappearing?
This special way of life might be why the dove is in so much trouble. Huge amounts of the Atlantic forest have been cut down. This deforestation means less bamboo for the doves. It has caused their numbers to drop very quickly. It's similar to what happened to the passenger pigeon. That bird also disappeared because its food source was lost.
Is the Purple-Winged Ground Dove Still Alive?
The Mystery of Its Survival
Scientists have not seen this dove for sure since 1985. This makes many people wonder if it is still around. There have been some possible sightings since then. One was in 2017 in Argentina, near G. trinii bamboo.
Confusing Doves
It is hard to tell this dove apart from the blue ground dove (Claravis pretiosa). Both birds live in the same areas. This makes it tricky to confirm new sightings. Another bird, the violaceous quail-dove (Geotrygon violacea), also lives there. It has similar needs and is still seen often. This makes some scientists doubt if the purple-winged ground dove is still alive.
Hard to Find
Scientists have tried to catch the doves using special nets. They have caught the violaceous quail-dove, but never the purple-winged ground dove. Because these doves move around a lot, it is hard to track them. However, they are also very shy birds. They might just be very good at hiding. This means they could still be out there, even if we do not see them often.
Where They Might Be
If the dove is still alive, there might be only 50 to 249 birds left. They could be living in places like the Serra do Mar in Brazil. They might also be in the Misiones province of Argentina. These areas are large and have not been fully explored.
What Happened to Doves in Captivity?
A Chance to Save Them
In the 1970s and 1980s, people in Brazil kept and bred these doves. At one point, there were over 150 captive birds. This was a great chance to help save the species.
New Rules and Sad Endings
However, new rules about bird breeding came out in Brazil. Many groups that bred doves had to stop. The captive doves were sent to other breeders. These new breeders did not know much about caring for the birds. Also, people did not realize how endangered the doves were in the wild. By the mid-1990s, the last captive doves died. They did not have any babies. This was a big loss for the species.
Hope from the Past
Today, scientists have found old sound recordings of the doves. These recordings came from the people who used to breed them. These sounds could be very important. They might help scientists find the doves in the wild during future searches.
