The bare-eyed pigeon (''Patagioenas corensis'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

in the family

Columbidae Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

. It is found in Colombia,

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

, and the Netherlands Antilles.

Taxonomy and systematics

At least one author has asserted that based on plumage similarities the bare-eyed pigeon, picazuro pigeon (''P. picazuro''),

spot-winged pigeon The spot-winged pigeon (''Patagioenas maculosa'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jara ...

(''P. maculosa''), and

scaled pigeon The scaled pigeon (''Patagioenas speciosa'') is a large New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder from southern Mexico south to western Ecuador, southern Brazil, northern Argentina, and Trinidad. The scaled pigeon is fairly common in sem ...

(''P. speciosa'') form a

monophyletic group A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

. Others argue that significant vocal differences belie that.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 August 2021. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved August 24, 2021Baptista, L. F., P. W. Trail, H. M. Horblit, and P. F. D. Boesman (2020). Bare-eyed Pigeon (''Patagioenas corensis''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.baepig2.01 retrieved September 13, 2021 The bare-eyed pigeon is monophyletic.

Description

Male bare-eyed pigeons are long and females . They weigh about . Male and female plumage is the same. Their head, neck, and breast are mauve-pink. The orange-brown eye is surrounded by bare skin, a narrow blue ring and a wider outer area of reddish brown. The neck and upper back have a bronze-black and pale brown scaled appearance and the lower back and rump are pale bluish gray. The chin and vent region are white. The closed wing shows a broad white patch. The juvenile is a paler version of the adults.

Distribution and habitat

The bare-eyed pigeon is found on the Caribbean coasts of Colombia and Venezuela and the near-shore islands of Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire,

Margarita A margarita is a cocktail consisting of Tequila, triple sec, and lime juice often served with salt on the rim of the glass. The drink is served shaken with ice (on the rocks), blended with ice (frozen margarita), or without ice (straight up). ...

, and Blanquilla. It primarily inhabits an arid landscape of thorn scrub, cactus, and acacia and is also found in mangroves and cultivated areas. It can be found as high as above sea level on the mainland but is generally much lower.

Behavior

Feeding

The bare-eyed pigeon does most of its foraging in trees and shrubs but also feeds on the ground. Its diet is seeds and fruits of trees, vines, and cultivated crops.

Breeding

The bare-eyed pigeon's breeding cycle appears to be triggered by rain. The nest is a fragile platform of twigs in a tree or shrub. It is so thin that the species' single egg can be seen through it from below.

Vocalization

The bare-eyed pigeon's song is "a rhythmic series of coos...rwhoh...woh-hu-whOAh...woh-hu-whOAh..woh-hu-whOAh...".

Status

The IUCN has assessed the bare-eyed pigeon as being of Least Concern. It is " avily hunted and therefore shy and timid, but appears to be relatively secure."

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q177222 bare-eyed pigeon Birds of Colombia Birds of Venezuela Birds of the Netherlands Antilles bare-eyed pigeon bare-eyed pigeon Taxonomy articles created by Polbot