Common Ground Dove
Columbina passerina

AKA: Scaly-breasted Ground Dove, Passerine Ground Dove, Passerine Dove, Rosy Ground Dove, Sparrow Dove, Scaled Ground Dove, Tobacco Dove, Speckled Ground Dove

©TFH 

©Mark Oberle
C. p. portoricensis - Puerto Rican race

Distribution: Southern North America, from South Carolina to southern California, south through Mexico, Central America, Caribbean Islands, Bermuda, northern South America to south to central Ecuador & northern Brazil. 

Races: This species has the most number of recognized races within the Columbiformes group, 18 races are recognized. Only differing very slightly, mainly found on the extent of the bill coloration, shade of brown on upperparts & extent of white tips on outer rectrices.
C. p. passerina (Linnaeus 1758), South Carolina south to Florida & west to southeast Texas.
C. p. pallescens (Baird 1860), southern US & Baja California.
C. p. socorroensis (Ridgway 1887), Socorro Island
C. p. neglecta (Carriker 1910), Honduras to Costa Rica & Panama.
C. p. bahamensis (Maynard 1887), Bermuda & Bahamas.
C. p. exigua (Riley 1905), Great Inagua in southern Bahamas, Mona Island between Hispaniola &  Puerto Rico.
C. p. insularis (Ridgway 1888), Cuba, Isle of Pines, Cayman Islands & Hispaniola.
C. p. jamaicensis (Maynard 1899), Jamaica.
C. p. navassae (Wetmore 1930), Navassa Island of Hispaniola.
C. p. portoricensis (Lowe 1908), Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands except St. Croix, Vieques, Culebras.
C. p. nigrirostris (Danforth 1935), St. Croix & northern Lesser Antilles.
C. p. trochilla (Bonaparte 1855), Martinique.
C. p. antillarum (Lowe 1908), southern Lesser Antilles from St. Lucia to Grenada.
C. p. albivttata (Bonaparte 1855), norther Columbia & Venezuela, south to Orinoco including Aruba, Los Testigos, Margarita & Trinidad.
C. p. parvula (Todd 1913), upper Magdalena Valley in central Columbia.
C. p. nana (Todd 1913), Cauca Valey & upper Dagua Valley in western Columbia.
C. p. quitensis (Todd 1913) central valleys in Ecuador from Guaillabamba.
C. p. griseola (Spix 1825), southern Venezuela, the Guianas & western Brazil east to the Atlantic & south to Bahia.

Description: Length 15.5-18 cm. Forehead, face, sides of neck, breast & underparts rosy pink, mauve pink, pinkish grey or silvery pink. Crown, nape & hindneck blue grey, silver grey or greyish pink with dark edges giving a scaled effect. The feathers  of the sides of the neck, throat breast pale pinkish with blackish brown centers which give the scaled effect also. Lower breast to belly  pinkish brown; flanks lower belly & undertail coverts greyish brown. Undertail blackish brown with greyish white tips; underwing reddish brown,  flight feathers reddish brown. Iris variable from red-brown to reddish orange; eye cere blue grey; bill black to black with red, orange or yellowish base; legs & feet bright red.

Voice:

Nesting: Clutch 2 white eggs; Incubation 13-14 days; juveniles may fledge within 11 or 12 days.

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