The sapphire quail-dove (''Geotrygon saphirina'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

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 lightweigh ...

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

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

, and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

.Baptista, L. F., P. W. Trail, H. M. Horblit, G. M. Kirwan, P. F. D. Boesman, and E. F. J. Garcia (2020). Sapphire Quail-Dove (''Geotrygon saphirina''), 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.sapqud2.01 retrieved September 17, 2021

Taxonomy and systematics

At one time the sapphire quail-dove included what is now the

purple quail-dove The purple quail-dove (''Geotrygon purpurata'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. Taxonomy and systematics The purple quail-dove was at one time considered a subspecies of sapphire quail-do ...

as a subspecies; the larger species was then named ''Osculatia saphirina''. Since the early 2010s the purple quail-dove has been treated as a separate species.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, 2021 The sapphire quail-dove now has two subspecies, the nominate ''G. s. saphirina'' and ''G. s. rothschildi''.

Description

The sapphire quail-dove is long and weighs . The male of the nominate subspecies has a white forehead, throat, and small patch below the eye. It has a conspicuous, long, purple-black malar stripe. Its dark bluish gray crown becomes bronzy green on the nape; below that is an iridescent patch of green, gold, and purplish pink. The back and wing

covert Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

s are purple-brown and the rump iridescent greenish or purplish blue. The central tail feathers are slaty black and the outer ones are blackish with blue-gray tips. The closed wing shows an elongated white spot. The breast is pale gray fading to white on the belly and adjoined by buff flanks. Its eyes are pale yellow to dark brown. The adult female has the same plumage pattern but is less brilliant. Juveniles are dark reddish brown above, a duskier gray below, and their facial markings are less intense. ''G. s. rothschildi'' is essentially the same as the nominate but for darker eyes.

Distribution and habitat

The nominate subspecies of sapphire quail-dove is found across far southern Colombia south through eastern Ecuador to southeastern Peru and east into extreme western Amazonian Brazil. ''G. s. rothschildi'' is found only in the area around Cadena in southeastern Peru's

Marcapata District The Marcapata District is one of the twelve districts in the Quispicanchi Province in Peru. Created on January 20, 1869, its capital is Marcapata. Geography The Willkanuta mountain range traverses the province. Some of the highest peaks of th ...

. The species inhabits the ground and undergrowth of

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

and older

secondary Secondary may refer to: Science and nature * Secondary emission, of particles ** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products * The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...

evergreen

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

, often near streams. In Peru it ranges up in elevation and up to in Ecuador.

Behavior

Feeding

The sapphire quail-dove forages on the ground, singly or in pairs. Its diet has not been documented but it probably eats seeds and small invertebrates like other quail-doves.

Breeding

The sapphire quail-dove's breeding season differs across its range, base on the dates that nests with eggs, nestlings, adults in breeding condition, and nesting behavior have been recorded. Nests are platforms made of sticks or twigs and the clutch size appears to be one or two.

Vocalization

The sapphire quail-dove's song is "a two-note monotonous 'hu..huuuuu' or 'ca..whooooo'." It sings from a low hidden perch or on the ground at any time of day.

Status

The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

has assessed the sapphire quail-dove as being of Least Concern. " helimits of distribution of this distinctive species repoorly known... he primarythreat to this species is accelerating deforestation in the Amazon basin".

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1067817

sapphire quail-dove The sapphire quail-dove (''Geotrygon saphirina'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.Baptista, L. F., P. W. Trail, H. M. Horblit, G. M. Kirwan, P. F. D. Boesman, and E. F. J. Garci ...

Birds of the Colombian Amazon Birds of the Ecuadorian Amazon Birds of the Peruvian Amazon

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot