Bare-eyed Pigeon
Patagioenas corensis

AKA: White-winged Pigeon

©John Pire

©John Pire

©Monte Nord

Distribution: Found in the arid, semi-arid, mangroves & cultivated coastal areas of northern Columbia & Venezuela, the islands of Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire & Margarita.

Description: (Jacquin 1784) Length 30-37 cm. Similar in size & coloration to the Picazuro Pigeon. Head, neck & breast light mauve pink; tinged with bluish grey on top of the head & shading to creamy white on chin, ventral area & undertail coverts. Hindneck & side neck display feathers bluish-grey edged with a darker grey; the lower area of the display feathers copper-pink with dark grey edges; giving a scaled effect. The mantle, wing coverts and inner secondary feathers have a white edge forming a broad white line along the edge of the wing. The lower back, rump & upper tail coverts pale bluish-grey. Central tail feathers brownish grey. Outer tail feathers white tipped. Iris - yellowish orange or orange brown. Orbital skin high enlarged in adults; inner area by eye is bluish grey or pale blue; outer area is wrinkled & with age darkens to brown or reddish brown - more so in males then females. Juvenile: a paler copy of the adult.

Nesting: a single large egg is laid, 17 days incubation & young fledge in another 2 weeks.

Voice: males quite vocal when wanting to breed; females also call, usually while in the nest. First documented recording of a captive nesting hen recorded by John Pire & furnished to the late Dr. Luis Baptista for his research for Vol. 4 of the Handbook of the Birds of the World. Previously known & documented recording were only of males.

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