
Ruddy Ground-Dove
Columbina talpacoti
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderColumbiformes (Pigeons and Doves)
- FamilyColumbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
- GenusColumbina (Small Ground Doves)
- SpeciesColumbina talpacoti (Ruddy Ground-Dove)
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
About the Ruddy Ground-Dove
The ruddy ground dove (Columbina talpacoti) is a small New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder from Mexico south to Brazil, Peru and Paraguay, and northern Argentina, and on Trinidad and Tobago. Individual birds can sometimes be seen in the southwestern USA, from southern Texas to southernmost California, primarily during winter.
The ruddy ground dove is very common in scrub and other open country, including cultivated land and urban centers, where it can be seen feeding on grain alongside feral pigeons. It builds a solid but sparsely lined cup-shaped stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Incubation is 12–13 days with another 12–14 days to fledging. There may be a second or third brood. Chick mortality through predation and falls from the nest is high.
Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. Ruddy ground doves are small short-tailed pigeons, 17 cm (6.7 in) long with a weight normally about 47 g (1.7 oz). Adult males have a pale grey head and neck, and rich rufous upperparts, black-spotted on the wing coverts. The underparts are paler brown, the tail is edged black, and the underwings are cinnamon and black. The female is grey-brown rather than rufous, and has less contrast between head and body than the male.
Ruddy ground doves feed mainly on seeds, but also sometimes on snails and small insects. Their call is a soft cooing cur-WOO.This species can be quite approachable. Males frequently threaten each other by jumping and raising a wing, and brief confrontations may ensue. Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Ruddy Ground-Dove in Porto Alegre
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salvador | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Cali | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | João Pessoa | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Medellín | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 5 | Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Fortaleza | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Belo Horizonte | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Goiânia | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Vitória | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parque das Aves | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Castellar Zoo | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Closest Relatives at Porto Alegre
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Ruddy Ground-Dove in Porto Alegre?
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Ground-Dove sighting in Porto Alegre on a given day, based on 594 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 25th most-seen of the 159 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Ruddy Ground-Dove in Porto Alegre?
January–February and October
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Ground-Dove in Porto Alegre on a given day, against about 20% in March and June–July, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Ruddy Ground-Dove?
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ruddy Ground-Dove sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Porto Alegre the best place to see a Ruddy Ground-Dove?
28th of 38
Of the 38 cities where we can rate Ruddy Ground-Dove sightings, Porto Alegre ranks 28th at about 30%. The best odds are in Salvador (Brazil, about 90%), Cali (Colombia, about 80%) and João Pessoa (Brazil, about 80%).
Where does the Ruddy Ground-Dove sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ruddy Ground-Dove is recorded against all the birds logged in Porto Alegre (594 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.