''Leptotila'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of birds in the dove and pigeon 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 ...

. These are ground-foraging doves that live in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. The genus ''Leptotila'' was introduced by the English naturalist

William John Swainson William John Swainson FLS, FRS (8 October 1789 – 6 December 1855), was an English ornithologist, malacologist, conchologist, entomologist and artist. Life Swainson was born in Dover Place, St Mary Newington, London, the eldest son of ...

in 1837 with the

Caribbean dove The Caribbean dove (''Leptotila jamaicensis'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Belize, the Cayman Islands, Colombia ( San Andrés island), Honduras (Bay Islands), Jamaica, and Mexico (Yucatán Peninsula). It has ...

''Leptotila jamaicensis'' as the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

. The genus name combines the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

''leptos'' meaning "delicate" or "slender" with meaning "feather". The genus contains the following 11 species: *

White-tipped dove The white-tipped dove (''Leptotila verreauxi'') is a large New World tropical dove. Its scientific name commemorates the French naturalists Jules and Edouard Verreaux. Distribution and habitat The dove is a resident breeder from southernmost ...

, ''Leptotila verreauxi'' *

Yungas dove The Yungas dove (''Leptotila megalura''), also known as the white-faced dove or large-tailed dove, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, ...

, ''Leptotila megalura'' *

Grey-fronted dove The grey-fronted dove (''Leptotila rufaxilla'') is a large New World tropical dove. It is found on Trinidad and in every mainland South American country except Chile.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D ...

, ''Leptotila rufaxilla'' *

Grey-headed dove The grey-headed dove (''Leptotila plumbeiceps'') is a large New World dove. It is found from eastern Mexico to Colombia. Taxonomy and systematics The grey-headed dove, the grey-fronted dove (''Leptotila rufaxilla'') and pallid dove (''L. pal ...

, ''Leptotila plumbeiceps'' *

Pallid dove The pallid dove (''Leptotila pallida'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robb ...

, ''Leptotila pallida'' *

Azuero dove The Azuero dove or brown-backed dove (''Leptotila battyi'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to Panama. Taxonomy and systematics The Azuero dove, the grey-fronted dove (''Leptotila rufaxilla'') and pallid dove ('' ...

, ''Leptotila battyi'' – split from the grey-headed dove *

Grenada dove The Grenada dove (''Leptotila wellsi'') is a medium-sized New World tropical dove. It is endemic to the island of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. Originally known as the pea doveLawrence, G. N. (1884). Characters of a new species of ''Engyptila' ...

, ''Leptotila wellsi'' *

, ''Leptotila jamaicensis'' *

Grey-chested dove The grey-chested dove (''Leptotila cassinii'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.Baptista, L. F., P. W. Trail, H. M. Horblit, and P ...

, ''Leptotila cassinii'' *

Ochre-bellied dove The ochre-bellied dove or buff-bellied dove (''Leptotila ochraceiventris'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J ...

, ''Leptotila ochraceiventris'' *

Tolima dove The Tolima dove (''Leptotila conoveri'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to Colombia. Taxonomy and systematics The Tolima dove is monotypic. It is closely related to the grey-chested dove (''Leptotila cassinii'' ...

, ''Leptotila conoveri''

Cladogram A cladogram (from Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an evolutionary tree because it does not show how ancestors are related to d ...

showing the position of ''Leptotila'' among its closest relatives:

References

Bird genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Columbiformes-stub