White-tipped Dove
Leptotila verreauxi
When taking off in alarm, their wings produce a distinctive whirring or whistling sound that serves as an acoustic alarm for nearby wildlife.
- Scientific name
- Leptotila verreauxi
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Columbiformes › Columbidae › Leptotila
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Tropical and subtropical dry forests, woodland edges, scrublands, and agricultural borders.
- Diet
- Seeds, small fruits, berries, and occasionally insects scavenged from the ground.
- Range
- Central America, South America, Southern Texas, Caribbean
- Size
- 25-30 cm long, 115-185 grams
- Lifespan
- 5-8 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, urban development, domestic cat predation, and window strikes.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and timid. Keep a safe distance of at least 5 meters to avoid startling this ground-dwelling bird. If you find an injured dove, contact a local licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
The white-tipped dove ( Leptotila verreauxi ) is a large New World tropical dove. Its scientific name commemorates the French naturalists Jules and Edouard Verreaux.
Photo: Christoph Moning, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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