Bird
Bird
Ruddy Quail-Dove
Geotrygon montana
The Ruddy Quail-Dove is a shy, plump, ground-dwelling dove of Trinidad's forest floor, its rich rufous-chestnut plumage in males blending closely with fallen leaves, and its quiet, low, whistled call more often heard than the bird is seen.
The Ruddy Quail-Dove is a shy, plump, ground-dwelling dove of Trinidad's forest floor, its rich rufous-chestnut plumage in males blending closely with fallen leaves, and its quiet, low, whistled call more often heard than the bird is seen.
Identification
A compact, plump dove around 21 to 24 cm long. The male is rich rufous-chestnut overall with a distinctive pale buff facial stripe below the eye; the female is duller olive-brown, lacking the male's warm chestnut tone, providing more effective camouflage against leaf litter. Both sexes are short-tailed and round-bodied, adapted for a largely terrestrial, forest-floor existence.
Ecology
The Ruddy Quail-Dove forages on the forest floor for fallen fruit, seeds, and small invertebrates, walking quietly through leaf litter and rarely flying except when flushed at close range, at which point it explodes into brief, low flight before quickly dropping back into cover. Its low, mellow, single or double-noted whistled call is delivered from the ground or a low perch and is a frequently heard, if rarely visually confirmed, sound of the forest interior.
Status in T&T
Found in forest interior across Trinidad, generally favouring less disturbed woodland with substantial leaf litter. It is not threatened. It is protected under the Conservation of Wildlife Act; unlike some larger native doves, it is not typically a legally hunted game species due to its small size and secretive habits.
Threats
- Forest clearance reducing leaf-litter foraging habitat
- Ground-nest predation
