Zenaida Dove
(Zenaida aurita)
Photographed in the wild, St. Lucia Apr 2012
Found
throughout the Caribbean, the Zenaida dove is a rather stocky dove species with
a low, mournful call and its plumage is reddish to greyish-brown above and
lighter pinkish-brown below, with a more cinnamon head. There is an iridescent
purple patch on the side of the neck, and two dark violet-blue streaks on the
side of the face, which appear black from a distance. The wings bear black
spots, and the outer secondary feathers have white tips. The beak is black and
the legs and feet are red. The female Zenaida dove is duller and paler than the
male, with a greyer back and a smaller iridescent neck patch.
The Zenaida dove sings with a gentle,
mournful-sounding cooing, described as ‘coo-oo, coo, coo, coo’ or ‘hoo’ooo-oo
oo-ooo’. Its song
resembles that of the closely related mourning dove but is usually slightly
more curtailed. The Zenaida dove can also be distinguished from the mourning
dove by its shorter, less pointed tail, proportionately larger legs and feet,
and by the white in its wings
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