Ruddy Pigeon Patagioenas subvinacea Scientific name definitions

The Ruddy Pigeon is a very widely distributed bird in the Neotropics. It is found from Costa Rica south across virtually all of the northern two-thirds of South America, as far as northern Bolivia. Despite its broad distribution, comparatively little is known concerning the Ruddy Pigeon’s life history, especially its feeding and breeding behavior. The wings, back and tail are generally dark brown, whilst the rest of the bird’s plumage is dull reddish to purple. As such, the bird’s appearance is generally similar to the otherwise larger Plumbeous Pigeon (Patagioenas plumbea), which is also widespread over much of northern South America, and the two co-exist at many localities. They are perhaps most easily separated by voice.

Male 27–32·5 cm, 180 g; female 30–32 cm, 164 g. Very similar in appearance to P. plumbea, but smaller; general colour more reddish to purplish; underside and inner webs of primaries with a cinnamon or chestnut tinge; bill black, proportionately smaller and shorter than in P. plumbea, cere grey; iris varies from pink to purplish red to brownish, with pale inner ring; orbital skin dull red; legs red to purplish red. Female similar but slightly duller with upper throat paler and underparts less purplish. Juvenile duller than female, upper­parts browner; hindneck and sides of neck greyish to drab brownish; wing-coverts, scapulars, crown, rump and uppertail-coverts have feathers edged with various shades of cinnamon. Races  differ mainly in various shades of reddish purple or rufous on upperparts .

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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.

In Costa Rica, frequents canopy in medium to high altitude forests; also forest edge and secondary growth; breeds mainly from 1500 m up to tree-line. In Panama, occurs in highlands above 1070 m. Prefers cloud forest in Venezuela , ranging up to 1100 m S of Orinoco, and up to 2200 m N of the river. In Colombia, usually found below 1500 m, but sometimes up to 2800 m. In Brazil , occupies tall forest in the Mato Grosso and Maranhão.

In Costa Rica, descends from highlands above 1500 m down to 900 m in non-breeding season, notably on Caribbean slope.

Eats fruits off trees, e.g. Cecropia; also feeds on fruits of epiphytes and mistletoe. Generally seen as singles, pairs or groups of up to 15.

Song is a repeated rhythmic phrase of four rather high-pitched coos "whu...pU..whu..hu", with the second note always upslurred and highest in pitch, and pause between first and second note longest. Length of four-note phrase is about 1 second. Call is a purring, drawn-out, slightly overslurred "rrrrrow".

Recorded Apr–Jun and Aug in Colombia. Builds a platform nest of coarse sticks 5 m above the ground. Clutch 1 white egg. No further information available.

VULNERABLE. Widespread and fairly common throughout South America; less numerous in Panama north of Darién and Costa Rica. Status poorly documented, perhaps because definitive identification by sight rather difficult, due to possible confusion with rather similar and extensively sympatric <em>P. plumbea</em> , but songs quite distinct; typically tends to be visually inconspicuous in upper storey of forest. Prefers primary forest, but also found in tall second-growth and agriculture-forest mosaics. Based on a model of future deforestation in the Amazon basin (3 Soares-Filho, B. S., D. C. Nepstad, L. M. Curran, G. C. Cerqueira, R. A. Garcia, C. A. Ramos, E. Voll, A. McDonald, P. Lefebvre, and P. Schlesinger (2006). Modelling conservation in the Amazon Basin. Nature 440:520–523. Close ), this species is expected to lose 16–20% of habitat within its distribution over three generations (20 years) (4 Bird, J. P., J. M. Buchanan, A. C. Lees, R. P. Clay, P. F. Develey, I. Yépez, and S. H. M. Butchart (2011). Integrating spatially explicit habitat projections into extinction risk assessments: a reassessment of Amazonian avifauna incorporating projected deforestation. Diversity and Distributions 18(3):432–439. Close ). Since it may also be at risk from hunting, its population is projected to decline by 30% or more over this period (4 Bird, J. P., J. M. Buchanan, A. C. Lees, R. P. Clay, P. F. Develey, I. Yépez, and S. H. M. Butchart (2011). Integrating spatially explicit habitat projections into extinction risk assessments: a reassessment of Amazonian avifauna incorporating projected deforestation. Diversity and Distributions 18(3):432–439. Close ); it was therefore listed as Vulnerable in 2012 BirdLife International (2014) Species factsheet: Patagioenas subvinacea. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 09/09/2014. . Occurs in many protected areas, several of which are extremely large and isolated.