Ruddy ground-dove
Colmbina talpacoti
Identification Tips:
- Length: ? inches
- Small dove
- Grayish head
- Brownish-pink underparts
- Rusty upperparts with black spots on wings -female grayer
- Rusty patches in primaries visible in flight
- Blackish patch in wing linings
- Short tail with black outer tail feathers
- Sexes similar
- Rare but regular stray to southwestern United States
Similar species:
Common Ground-Dove and Inca Dove similar but have scaly upperparts. Male
Ruddy Ground-Dove has distinctive rusty upperparts.
Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.
Patuxent Bird Population Studies
Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter