Lined Quail-dove

The lined quail-dove (''Zentrygon linearis'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.

Taxonomy and systematics

The lined quail-dove's taxonomic history is complex. It was originally placed in genus ''Geotrygon''. It, the white-faced quail-dove (''Z. albifacies''), and the Chiriqui quail-dove (''Z. chiriquensis'') have been treated as a superspecies or even as conspecific. It has two subspecies, the nominate ''Zentrygon linearis linearis'' and ''A. l. trinitatis''. The population of the nominate in Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta has been proposed as a separate subspecies. ''A. l. trinitatis'' has been treated as a separate species by some authors, and the mainland population of it has been proposed to be split as separate subspecies. 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). Lined Quail-Dove (''Zentrygon linearis''), 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.liqdov1.01 retrieved September 25, 2021

Description

The lined quail-dove is long and weighs . Adult males have a pinkish buff forehead that darkens to purplish brown on the crown. There is a pale gray arc from the eye to the nape and the cheeks are buffy. A thin dark stripe goes from the bill through the eye and another in the malar area. The mantle is reddish purple and the rest of the upperparts reddish brown with purple or bronze-green iridescence on the hindneck. Loose feathers on the sides of the neck give the impression of dark furrows. The breast is pale gray to brownish gray and its sides are purple. The belly and flanks are buffy fawn. The eye can be various shades of yellow to orange-red; it has a narrow red ring and is surrounded by bare blue skin. The legs and feet are red. Females are almost identical to males with the addition of a brownish tinge to the gray breast. Juveniles have overall redder plumage with numerous brown and blackish bars.

Distribution and habitat

The nominate subspecies of lined quail-dove is found in Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the Andes of Colombia and Venezuela, and Venezuelan coastal mountain ranges. ''A. l. trinitatis'' is found in Venezuela's northern Monagas and Sucre states and Trinidad and Tobago. It inhabits tropical lowland and evergreen montane forests from sea level to .

Behavior

Feeding

The lined quail-dove forages singly or in pairs, feeding on seeds on the forest floor.

Breeding

The lined quail-dove's breeding season in Colombia spans at least from April to October and begins earlier in Trinidad and Tobago. One described nest was a deep cup of small twigs lined with dead leaves, placed in the fork of a tree above the ground. It contained two eggs.

Vocalization

The lined quail-dove's song is "a single monotonous low-pitched note 'whoOOo', with highest amplitude in the middle." Two birds will sing at the same time at slightly different pitches.

Status

The IUCN has assessed the lined quail-dove as being of Least Concern. Its population has not been quantified; the species is believed to be fairly common but decreasing. Deforestation is a threat.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q27074690

lined quail-dove
Birds of the Colombian Andes
Birds of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Birds of the Venezuelan Coastal Range
Birds of Trinidad and Tobago
lined quail-dove
lined quail-dove
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot