Galapagos Dove Zenaida galapagoensis Scientific name definitions

A species endemic to the Galapagos Islands, the Galapagos Dove inhabits subtropical forests and dry shrublands of the Galapagos archipelago. Since its initial species description in the mid-1800's, two subspecies have been described. The Galapagos Dove feeds mainly on seeds, but during the wet season it also feeds on caterpillars and cacti blossoms. Despite its small range, the population is believed to be stable and has not merited consideration for any threatened species lists. In the past, humans used to hunt the Galapagos Dove for food, but now the dove's main predator are the feral cats that are present on the islands.

18–23 cm; 67–92 g (1 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ). Head and neck dark reddish brown; pinkish brown on breast lightening to buffish on the belly; undertail-coverts pale grey; orbital skin cobalt-blue to violet-blue surrounded by border of black; white stripe bordered by two thin black stripes on face below and behind eye; pink and bronze iridescent patch on side of neck; upperparts dark brown; scapulars and most of wing-coverts black laterally with white median streak, giving wing streaked and spotted appearance; distal coverts with outer web white, producing a white patch on folded wing; primaries black fringed with narrow white borders on outer webs; underwing dark bluish grey; central tail feathers dark brown and lateral ones grey; subterminal black bar and narrow terminal grey bar on tail; iris brown, legs and feet purplish red; bill black, long and slightly downcurved. Female smaller (2 Santiago-Alarcon, D. and Parker, P.G. (2007). Sexual size dimorphism and morphological evidence supporting the recognition of two subspecies of Galápagos Dove. Condor. 109(1): 132-141. Close ), slightly duller brown above, less rufous below (1 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ), with iridescent neck patch more restricted, wings, back and tail darker, and head more uniform (1 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ). Race exul slightly larger and darker.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Dry, rocky, arid and semi-arid (1 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ) lowlands with scattered trees, bushes and Opuntia cacti.

Not well known, but birds seen flying between islands and a recent molecular study has confirmed ongoing high rates of gene flow between different islets, especially Española to Genovesa, and from the first-named to Santa Cruz (4 Santiago-Alarcon, D., Tanksley, S.M. and Parker, P.G. (2006). Morphological variation and genetic structure of Galapagos Dove (Zenaida galapagoensis) populations: issues in conservation for the Galapagos bird fauna. Wilson J. Orn.. 118(2): 194-207. Close ).

Considered to be principally a seed predator, rather than a disperser (5 Guerrero, A.M. and Tye, A. (2011). Native and introduced birds of Galapagos as dispersers of native and introduced plants. Orn. Neotropical. 22(2): 207–217. Close ). During wet season, late Jan to mid-Feb, feeds on caterpillars and Opuntia helleri blossoms; at other times, mainly forages on ground for Croton scouleri seeds. Long, decurved bill is effective digging tool, and used to uncover seeds of Merremia aegyptica, Ipomoea linearifolia and Opuntia echios in Dec; some seeds of Tribulus cistoides are also taken. On Santa Cruz, also proven to feed on seeds of Panicum dichotomiflorum, Paspalum conjugatum, Portulaca oleracea and Digitaria horizontalis, of which only the first-named is definitely native to the archipelago (5 Guerrero, A.M. and Tye, A. (2011). Native and introduced birds of Galapagos as dispersers of native and introduced plants. Orn. Neotropical. 22(2): 207–217. Close ). Also feeds on cactus pulp, and suspected to take fly larvae and pupae found in Opuntia pads and trunks. There appears to be some geographical variation in feeding habits: birds on Wenman I clambered on Opuntia pads to consume flowers, but individuals on Pinta, Daphne and Genovesa were never observed to do so.

Soft, deep “bob-bob-bob-rurururr-bububurr”, a growling “bororororororrr” or “wuk ... r-r-r-r-r-ruu” that is repeated at 8–10-second intervals, as well as a soft coo that is almost inaudible (1 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ).

Can occur Jan–Nov, but season varies locally from island to island, though perhaps mainly Mar–Jun, especially Mar–Apr (1 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ); active nests have been found on Española during most months; in detailed study on Genovesa, breeding activity did not commence until early Feb, following onset of rain, and continued for at least four months, suggesting that nesting is strongly linked to annual and seasonal variations in food availability (1 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ). Nest, loose arrangement of sticks sometimes lined with rootlets and grass (1 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ), may be placed on the ground, in rock cavities or in old Galapagos Mockingbird (Mimus parvulus) nests, averaging 75 cm above ground; equal numbers of nests on ground and above it, but ground nests predated more than those in old mockingbird nests. Some pairs bred twice in same season. Almost invariably two white (1 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ) eggs (1–3); incubation c. 13 days; fledging 13–17 days; known to perform distraction display. Captive birds renested 6–10 days after young had fledged.

Not globally threatened. Appears to be relatively secure away from settled areas and on islands free of predators. The species is speculated to serve as a reservoir/vector for some infectious diseases, with doves known to have been infected with Trichomonas gallinae (perhaps transmitted by C. livia) on Santa Cruz, with Chlamydophila psittaci on Española and Haemoproteus spp. were prevalent in > 85% of birds on five islands; given species’ ability to disperse between islands (revealed by genetic studies) and it being a prey species of Galapagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis), research is required to determine the risks to other native and endemic species (4 Santiago-Alarcon, D., Tanksley, S.M. and Parker, P.G. (2006). Morphological variation and genetic structure of Galapagos Dove (Zenaida galapagoensis) populations: issues in conservation for the Galapagos bird fauna. Wilson J. Orn.. 118(2): 194-207. Close ). Rare on some islands, e.g. Santa María, San Cristóbal (where species could not be found during fieldwork in 1996 (6 Anon. (1997). Neotropical News. Extinctions on San Cristóbal, Galápagos. Cotinga. 8: 7. Close ) and just two birds were found more recently) (4 Santiago-Alarcon, D., Tanksley, S.M. and Parker, P.G. (2006). Morphological variation and genetic structure of Galapagos Dove (Zenaida galapagoensis) populations: issues in conservation for the Galapagos bird fauna. Wilson J. Orn.. 118(2): 194-207. Close ), Santa Cruz; common on others, e.g. Fernandina, San Salvador, Santa Fé, Española and Genovesa, where feral cats are few or absent. Quite tame, as is typical of island species; early buccaneers reported that the birds would gather in clusters around humans and even sat on their heads, so humans could approach and kill them for food with sticks; one report that 60–70 birds could be killed before noon with a stick. As late as 1965, 9000 doves were eaten by ten men in three months. Species is now less tame near human habitation, but is reasonably tolerant of some habitat modification, e.g. through firewood-gathering and grazing (1 Gibbs, D., E. Barnes, and J. Cox (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close ). Population on Baltra extirpated by armed forces of USA during Second World War.