Eared Dove
Zenaida auriculata
They are highly social and can form massive nesting colonies containing millions of individuals in favorable conditions.
- Scientific name
- Zenaida auriculata
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Columbiformes › Columbidae › Zenaida
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Open country, savannas, pastures, agricultural fields, and urban parks.
- Diet
- Granivorous; primarily feeds on seeds and agricultural grains like maize and sorghum.
- Range
- Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Caribbean Islands
- Size
- Approximately 24 cm in length with a weight of 110-115 grams.
- Lifespan
- 5-10 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Sport hunting and potential exposure to agricultural pesticides in monoculture zones.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These birds are skittish and will fly away if approached. Observe from a distance. If you find a fledgling on the ground, leave it be as the parents are likely nearby.
The eared dove ( Zenaida auriculata ) is a New World dove. It is a resident breeder throughout South America from Colombia to southern Argentina and Chile, and on the offshore islands from the Grenadines southwards. It may be a relatively recent colonist of Tobago and Trinidad. It appears to be partially migratory, its movements driven by food supplies.
Photo: no rights reserved, CC0, via iNaturalist
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