Columbina passerina

A small chunky dove. Back and upperwings are gray-brown, breast and head having a scaly appearance. Wing coverts show black spotting and inner webs of primaries and wing linings are cinnamon. Tail is brown in the center with black edges and white corners. About 14cm (5.5 inches) long. In flight it flashes bright chestnut on the primaries and wing linings. Males show a pinkish-buff colored head, neck and breast and blue hindneck and nape. Belly is pinkish and unscaled. Females have a pale gray head, neck, nape and breast and an unscaled belly. Juvenile birds are similar to the adult female, but are longer tailed, lack cinnamon primaries and tend to be more extensively scaly.

See Dunn and Garrett (1990) for information on identification of common and ruddy ground-doves.

Once inhabited open country with trees and bushes, sandy reefs, open sandy areas in forest and savannah, but over much of its range now primarily a bird of cultivated land, villages and towns (Goodwin 1983). In general, habitat structure rather than species composition appears to be a the best predictor of suitable habitat (Landers and Buckner 1979). Found primarily in open areas with plants that produce small seeds such as abandoned agricultural fields, young pine plantations or citrus groves and other early successional habitats. These habitats tend satisfy their food and nesting requirements because forbs and grasses that produce small seeds, a major food of Ground-Doves, are generally abundant there (Landers and Buckner 1979).

Landers and Buckner (1979) found that sites with Ground-Doves were much more open than those without doves, and that sites with doves had smaller diameter trees than those without. Additionally, Ground-Doves may require a bare ground component for feeding and cover consisting of trees and shrubs in the desert or cropland and other habitat. Early seral stages also provide good nesting cover. Sandy soils with low natural fertility may be closely associated with this species (Hopkins 1958) because they tend to retard the rate of succession and make suitable Ground-Dove habitat available for longer periods of time (Jones and Mirarchi 1990).

Especially in the arid southwestern U.S., Ground-Doves are often associated with riparian areas. In New Mexico occurs up to 1524 m (5,000 ft.) in shrubby riparian habitat often at the edges of riparian woodlands and in desert shrub dominated by mesquite or OPUNTIA SPP. In California, found in desert scrub and near edges of desert riparian habitats, as well as in alkali desert scrub, desert wash, orchard-vineyard, and eucalyptus habitats, usually below 305 m (1000 ft.) (Small 1994). In coastal California, Ground-Doves prefer river valleys with similar growth (Garrett and Dunn 1981). In the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, occurs in desert scrub, open to dense vegetation of shrubs, low trees and succulents dominated by paloverde (CERCIDIUM MICROPHYLLUM), prickly pear (OPUNTIA SPP.), and giant saguaro (CEREUS GIGANTEUS). In the Chihuahuan Desert found in open stands of creosote bush and large succulents (FEROCACTUS PRINGLEI, ECHINOCACTUS PLATYACONTHUS, NMDGF 1994).

In the lower Colorado River region prefers agricultural edges, orchards and sparse riparian vegetation. Nests here can be found in almost any tree species with willows and mesquites near a water source preferred. Occurs in suburban habitats at Yuma, where it replaces the Inca Dove (COLUMBINA INCA) which is the small suburban dove elsewhere in the valley and throughout most of central and southern Arizona (Rosenberg et al.1991). In Texas, however, Ground-Dove habitat is quite different. Inca Dove typically occupies the cultivated areas, leaving brushy rangeland to the this species (Oberholser 1974), but Ground-Doves are also found in orchards, brushy rangeland, and open woodlands. Oberholser (1974) describes this species reaching its maximum density in the state of Texas on the one-million-acre King Ranch located in Kleberg and Kenedy counties where the primary habitat type was grassy mesquite-live oak-cactus savanna. Also found in scrubby juniper-oak associations in the Trans-Pecos and on the Edwards Plateau.

In Florida, Ground-Doves can be found in almost any habitat type from sea coast to pine flatwoods, except in wetlands. In Florida and South Texas birds also commonly nest in citrus groves (Mitchell et al. 1996) and sometimes in wax myrtle (MYRICA CERIFERA) on the coastal plain. In Georgia, nests in 5-year-old slash pine (PINUS ELLIOTTII) plantations (Landers and Buckner 1976). Hopkins (1957) reports that plum trees and some species of PRUNUS are usually present in Ground-Dove habitat in this state as well. Of sixty-nine sites surveyed by Jones and Mirarchi (1990) in Alabama, habitat types included old field (31), young pine plantation (23), forest (7), agricultural field (4), coastal dune (3) and homesite (1). Among coastal sites they recorded Common Ground-Doves in all vegetative zones from the foredunes through the hinddunes. Also observed in freshly plowed or recently harvested agricultural fields, and in hardwood and pine forest types.

Populations in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands occur primarily in coastal habitat from mangroves, palm groves and residential areas, cane field and arid scrublands. Most common in arid regions and is only absent from heavily wooded areas (Raffaele 1983). Throughout the remainder of its range, found in arid lowland scrub, low seasonally wet grassland, arid montane scrub, second growth scrub (0-1400m) in the tropical and subtropical zones.

Typical nesting season in Florida extends from early March to early September, peaking from 3 April-16 May, and begins earlier in Texas (mid-March to late October), Arizona, and California (Bowman and Woolfenden 1997, Oberholser 1974). However, birds are suspected to nest year round (Bent 1932, Sprunt 1954). Nest is a thin frail platform of fine twigs, grasses, rootlets built in a tree or bush or on the old nest of another species. Occasionally on the beams of open buildings. Nests are typically 2.4-6.1 m (8-20 ft). up, and may be reused multiple times (Baicich and Harrison 1997). Sometimes built on the ground (Peterson 1961).

Pair nests solitarily or in small groups. Female lays two white eggs, and two or four broods may be raised in a year. Incubation period is 12-14 days and nestling care 12 days with both parents incubating. Young are altricial and cared for by both parents, fledging at 11 days. Young presumably fed crop milk initially (Ehrlich et al. 1988). It takes roughly a month to complete a successful nesting cycle (Bowman and Woolfenden 1997). Breeding pairs are territorial and will defend an area around the nest. Nicholson (1937) frequently found 3 pairs nesting within a 46m (150 ft) radius in Florida. A rare cowbird host (Ehrlich et al. 1998).

Information on survivorship and productivity is scant, but Passmore (1984) suggests that in south Texas, productivity may be 2.5 young per pair per year. This would be a 42% egg success based on an assumed two eggs per nest and three successful nestings. In addition, juvenile birds are thought to breed (Passmore 1984). The timing of the fall peak of weed seed production may coincide with a peak in breeding activity in Florida (Bowman and Woolfenden 1997).