Tortolita Rojiza/Ruddy Ground-Dove/Columbina talpacoti

Nombre en español: Tortolita Rojiza

Nombre en ingles: Ruddy Ground-Dove

Nombre científico: Columbina talpacoti

Familia: Columbidae

Canto: Ross Gallardy

La tortolita, columbina colorada ó cocochita (Columbina talpacoti) es una pequeña Columbinae de América.

Vive desde México hasta el norte de Argentina y Uruguay; también la encontramos en Puerto Rico y en Trinidad y Tobago. En ocasiones se puede ver tan al norte como en el sudeste de los Estados Unidos en el Sur de Tejas y en el Sur de California; principalmente durante el invierno.

La Tortolita es muy común en las zonas de rastrojos y otros páramos abiertos.

Por lo general, construye un nido de ramitas en las copas de los árboles donde pone dos huevos blancos. La incubación lleva entre 12 a 13 días con 12 a 14 días complementarios para el emplumaje de los polluelos. Ocasionalmente puede incubar un tercer pichón.

Su vuelo es rápido y directo, con aleteos regulares y ocasionalmente con movimientos vigorosos y rápidos de las alas, que son característicos de las palomas en general.

La Tortolita en una paloma de cola corta, que mide 17 cm con un peso de aproximadamente 47 g. Los machos adultos tienen la cabeza y el cuello gris pálido, con manchas negras debajo de las alas; la cola es negruzca y la parte inferior de las alas es canela y negro. Las hembras son gris oscuro, por lo general coloradas y con menos contraste entre la cabeza y el cuerpo que el macho.

Sub-especies

Columbina talpacoti talpacoti
Columbina talpacoti eluta’
Columbina talpacoti rufipennis
Columbina talpacoti caucae

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 Peru, Brazil 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.

The subspecies C. t. rufipennis of Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago shows much more cinnamon on the underwing than the nominate C. t. talpacoti.

Ruddy ground doves feed mainly on seeds. 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.

Ruddy Ground-Doves are appropriately named after the bright ruddy-colored plumage of the male, which makes them distinctive from males of other ground-doves. There are four subspecies ranging from northern Mexico south to eastern Peru and northern Argentina. Some geographic variation in plumage occurs with individuals in drier western areas being paler than those in wetter eastern areas.

This is a versatile species occupying open, wet habitats from riparian areas to suburban yards. Open areas, often bare ground, are used for finding seeds on the ground, their main food source. They are prolific breeders capable of breeding year-round in parts of their range and produce multiple broods, up to four broods per year. Given their flexibility in habitat use and rapid reproduction, Ruddy Ground-Doves are common throughout their range and are in the lowest threat category recognized by BirdLife International.