Field Guide/Birds/Leptotila verreauxi

The White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi) is a large New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder from the southernmost Texas in the USA through Mexico and Central America south to western Peru and central Argentina. It also breeds on the offshore islands of northern South America, including Trinidad. The nominate race L. v. verreauxi is the form found most of the extensive range, but L. v. tobagensis is endemic to Tobago.

The White-tipped Dove inhabits scrub and open woodland. It builds a large stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Incubation is about 14 days, and fledging another 15.

White-tipped Doves are 28cm long and weigh 155g. Adult birds have a grey crown and neck, the latter showing purple iridescence. They have a pale-grey or whitish forehead and a whitish throat. The eye-ring is typically blue, but can be red in some parts of its range (e.g. in some parts of Brazil). The upperparts and wings are grey-brown, and the underparts are whitish shading to pink on the belly. The tail is broadly tipped with white. The bill is black and the legs red.

L. v. tobagensis has paler underparts, a whiter throat, and lacks the sheen on the nape.

The White-tipped Dove is very similar to the closely related Grey-fronted Dove, Leptotila rufaxilla, which prefers humid forest habitats. The best distinctions from Grey-fronted Dove are the greyer forehead and crown, which contrast relatively little with the hindcrown. Additionally, it can be separated by the blue (not red) eye-ring, but this is not reliable in all parts of its range (e.g. in some parts of Brazil).

White-tipped Dove is usually seen singly or in pairs, and is rather wary. Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and clattering of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general.

The food of this species is mainly seeds obtained by foraging on the ground, but it will also take insects, including butterflies and moths. The call is a deep hollow ooo-wooooo.

The scientific name of this bird commemorates the French naturalists Jules and Edouard Verreaux.

References

• Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

• ffrench, Richard (1991). A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago (2nd edition ed.). Comstock Publishing. Template:Hide in printTemplate:Only in print.
• Hilty, Steven L (2003). Birds of Venezuela. London: Christopher Helm. Template:Hide in printTemplate:Only in print.