# Eared Dove

*Zenaida auriculata*

They are highly social and can form massive nesting colonies containing millions of individuals in favorable conditions.

- **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.

## About

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.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/1ef7509b-1a05-4762-8025-3f755c011b84
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3439
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenaida auriculata
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/93981/medium.jpg (no rights reserved, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.