Tolima Dove Leptotila conoveri Scientific name definitions

The Tolima Dove is a range-restricted species of the east slope of the Colombian Andes from Tolima to Huila where it inhabits humid montane forest and forest borders in the subtropical zone. It is a fairly undistinguished member of its genus,  best identified to species by range, vocalizations and tail pattern. There is very little information on the basic natural history of this species, but it presumably has similar habitats to the other Leptotila doves: likely feeding on seeds and insects gleaned from the forest floor. The Tolima Dove also is one of the more endangered members of its family in the Neotropics due to extensive deforestation within its range.

22·5–25 cm. Crown blue-grey or dark grey, throat white, hindneck vinaceous with violet gloss; upper mantle vinaceous grey with violet iridescence, rest of upperparts dark grey with purple iridescence, wings browner; breast vinaceous pink sharply demarcated from buff lower breast and belly; undertail-coverts white; underwing chestnut; tail slaty, outer rectrices tipped white, but less broadly than in partially sympatric L. verreauxi.

E slope of C Andes of Colombia, from Tolima (Coello–Combeima river system) to Huila (headwaters of R Magdalena). It has recently also been found in the E Andes of Colombia, in Cundinamarca department (1 González-Prieto, A. M., Espejo, N., Sanabria-Mejía, J., González-Prieto, C., Cormier, D. and Hobson, K. (2014). First record of Tolima Dove Leptotila conoveri in the Colombian East Andes. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 134(4): 307–310. Close ).

Humid forest and bushy forest borders in subtropical zone, possibly extending to lower limit of temperate zone; altitude range 1200–2500 m (2 Carvajal-Rueda, A., Moreno-Palacios, M. and Losada-Prado, S. (2014). Leptotila conoveri. Pp. 112-116 in:. Close ). However, in the Combeima Canyon it selects open, disturbed areas instead of secondary forests, nesting even in coffee trees and in bushes near houses (3 Carvajal-Rueda, Á. and Losada-Prado, S. (2011). Uso del hábitat de la Caminera Tolimense (Leptotila conoveri) en un área degradada de la cuenca del río Combeima (Tolima, Colombia). Ornitología Neotropical. 22: 539–551. Close ).

No information.

Reported feeding mainly on seeds of Bocconia frutescens (Papaveraceae) (3 Carvajal-Rueda, Á. and Losada-Prado, S. (2011). Uso del hábitat de la Caminera Tolimense (Leptotila conoveri) en un área degradada de la cuenca del río Combeima (Tolima, Colombia). Ornitología Neotropical. 22: 539–551. Close ). No other information available.

Song is a single slightly over-slurred note “wooOOOooo”, with a clear emphasis in the middle. Length is about 0·6 seconds, frequency typically between 400 and 600 Hz. Repeated every 6–8 seconds.

Birds in breeding condition collected in Mar–Apr and Jun; eggs and nestlings recorded in May–Sept (3 Carvajal-Rueda, Á. and Losada-Prado, S. (2011). Uso del hábitat de la Caminera Tolimense (Leptotila conoveri) en un área degradada de la cuenca del río Combeima (Tolima, Colombia). Ornitología Neotropical. 22: 539–551. Close ). Nests, similar in structure to those of L. verreauxi, found in bushes or small trees (Coffea arabica, Austroeupatorium inulifolium, Vismia guianensis) at 0∙3–2 m above the ground; clutch two eggs (3 Carvajal-Rueda, Á. and Losada-Prado, S. (2011). Uso del hábitat de la Caminera Tolimense (Leptotila conoveri) en un área degradada de la cuenca del río Combeima (Tolima, Colombia). Ornitología Neotropical. 22: 539–551. Close ). No further information available.

ENDANGERED. Restricted-range species: present in Colombian inter-Andean slopes EBA. Little known. Only recorded at three localities in C Andes in 1990s, it was found on E side of the Magdalena Valley, in E Andes in 2014 (1 González-Prieto, A. M., Espejo, N., Sanabria-Mejía, J., González-Prieto, C., Cormier, D. and Hobson, K. (2014). First record of Tolima Dove Leptotila conoveri in the Colombian East Andes. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 134(4): 307–310. Close ). Type series was collected in a heavily forested area at the head of Toche Valley; much of this habitat has been destroyed, but recent records are from degraded habitat, e.g. coffee groves and secondary growth, to whom it appears to have adapted successfully (3 Carvajal-Rueda, Á. and Losada-Prado, S. (2011). Uso del hábitat de la Caminera Tolimense (Leptotila conoveri) en un área degradada de la cuenca del río Combeima (Tolima, Colombia). Ornitología Neotropical. 22: 539–551. Close ). Hunting may pose a threat (3 Carvajal-Rueda, Á. and Losada-Prado, S. (2011). Uso del hábitat de la Caminera Tolimense (Leptotila conoveri) en un área degradada de la cuenca del río Combeima (Tolima, Colombia). Ornitología Neotropical. 22: 539–551. Close ). Species was surveyed in 1988–1990, N & W of Ibaqu, Tolima; one bird seen near Jutans and 2 near Tapias. Global population estimated to be 4200 birds (4 Renjifo, L. M., M. F. Gómez, J. Velásquez-Tibatá, A. M. Amaya-Villarreal, G. H. Kattan, J. D. Amaya-Espinel, and J. Burbano-Girón, Editors (2014). Libro Rojo de Aves de Colombia, Volume I: bosques húmedos de los Andes y la costa Pacífica. Editorial Pontificia Universidad Javeriana & Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, Bogotá D.C., Colombia. Close ). Endemic wax palm (Ceroxylum quindiuense) forests of Toche area, at 2000–2800 m, have been subject of a broad integrated conservation programme; hopefully this will benefit present species and other threatened species in the area, e.g. Yellow-eared Parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis), Bicoloured Antpitta (Grallaria rufocinerea) and Yellow-headed Brush-finch (Atlapetes flaviceps). In Colombia, formerly considered Endangered (5 Renjifo, L. M., A. M. Franco-Maya, J. D. Amaya-Espinel, G. H. Kattan, and B. López-Lanús (Editors) (2002). Libro Rojo de Aves de Colombia. Serie Libros Rojos de Especies Amenazadas de Colombia. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt & Ministerio del Medio Ambiente, Bogotá, Colombia. Close ), but now assessed as Vulnerable at the national level (4 Renjifo, L. M., M. F. Gómez, J. Velásquez-Tibatá, A. M. Amaya-Villarreal, G. H. Kattan, J. D. Amaya-Espinel, and J. Burbano-Girón, Editors (2014). Libro Rojo de Aves de Colombia, Volume I: bosques húmedos de los Andes y la costa Pacífica. Editorial Pontificia Universidad Javeriana & Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, Bogotá D.C., Colombia. Close ).