Black-winged Ground Dove
Metriopelia melanoptera


ŠJuan Tassara                                                                           ŠJuan Aguirre


ŠJeff Downing


Male                      ŠJeff Downing                     Female

Distribution: Found in the temperate high valleys, wooded hills and the arid country with scub & cactus areas of Peru, Bolivia, Chile (from Taina south to Colchagua), western Argentina south to the western Rio Negro & the Paramo Zone of Ecusdor to the extreme south of Columbia.

Races: Two races accepted. M. m. melanoptera (Molina 1872); M. m. saturatior (Chubb 1917)

Description: Length 21-23 cm. Forehead fawn brown shading to greyish brown on crown, nape. Hindneck & mantle fawn brown with vinous or pinkish suffusion. Chin & throat white; sides of neck & breast pale vinous pink which extends to belly & undertail coverts. Shoulder has a white patch which extends along edge of underwing. primaries, secondaries, primary flight coverts & underwing black. Central tail feathers dark grey brown rest of tail feathers black. iris blue; eye cere yellow or orangish yellow; bill black; legs & feet brown or greyish to dark brown. Female: overall a duller color having very little vinous pink suffusion on underside. Juvenile similar to female but having buff edges to the feathering. As in most dimorphic species, the juvenile males & females are slightly different from one another, males being a bit darker in their coloration.  

Nesting: 2 white eggs are laid; incubation 13-14 days.


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