Blue-headed quail-dove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blue-headed quail-dove |
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| Blue-headed quail-dove Near Playa Larga, Cuba |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Starnoenas
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| Species: |
cyanocephala
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| Synonyms | |
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Columba cyanocephala Linnaeus, 1758 |
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The blue-headed quail-dove (Starnoenas cyanocephala) is a beautiful bird from the pigeon and dove family, called Columbidae. It is also known as the blue-headed partridge-dove. This special bird is the only member of its group, known as the Starnoenas genus and the Starnoenadinae subfamily.
Contents
About the Blue-Headed Quail-Dove
Naming and History
In 1734, an English naturalist named Eleazar Albin drew and described the blue-headed quail-dove. His drawing was of a live bird brought to England from the East Indies. Later, in 1758, the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus gave this bird its scientific name, Columba cyanocephala.
The name cyanocephala comes from Ancient Greek words. Kuanos means "dark blue," and -kephalos means "-headed." So, its name describes its blue head! Today, this bird is the only species in the Starnoenas group, which was named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1838. There are no different types or subspecies of this bird.
Scientists have studied this bird's body, behavior, and where it lives. They found it is very different from other doves in the New World (North and South America). It shares more features with pigeons found in Australia. Because of this, some experts suggest it should be in its own special bird group. They also think its English name should be "blue-headed partridge-dove" to show it's different from other New World quail-doves.
What It Looks Like
This bird is about 30–33 centimeters (12–13 inches) long. It has a mostly cinnamon-brown body. Its head is a bright blue, and it has a black stripe across its eye. There's also a white stripe on its face. Around its throat, it has a black patch, which is outlined with white and blue spots on the sides.
How It Behaves
The blue-headed quail-dove mostly lives on the forest floor. It looks for food there, like seeds, berries, and snails. These birds are usually seen in pairs. However, larger groups have been spotted. For example, 18 birds were once seen together at a water hole in 1995. They usually build their nests on or near the ground. Breeding mostly happens between April and June.
Where It Lives
This bird is only found in Cuba. It lives in lowland forests and swampy areas. Sometimes, it can also be found in forests on higher ground.
Protecting This Bird
The blue-headed quail-dove used to be common all over Cuba. But now, it is very rare or almost gone in many areas. As of 2012, there were an estimated 1,000 to 2,499 of these birds left. There are good numbers in a few places, like near the Zapata Swamp and in the Pinar del Río Province. However, there might be more birds than previously thought.
The number of these birds is slowly or moderately decreasing. The biggest dangers to them are hunting and the destruction of their habitat. People still illegally hunt them because their meat is considered tasty. Big hurricanes also threaten the birds by damaging large areas of their forest homes.
Even though there are laws to protect this bird in Cuba, these laws are not always followed, and hunting continues. One group of these birds living in the highlands is protected in the La Güira National Park.
See also
In Spanish: Paloma perdiz cubana para niños
