Moreno's ground dove (Metriopelia morenoi) or the bare-eyed ground dove, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to Argentina.[2][3]
| Moreno's ground dove | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Columbiformes |
| Family: | Columbidae |
| Genus: | Metriopelia |
| Species: | M. morenoi
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| Binomial name | |
| Metriopelia morenoi (Sharpe, 1902)
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| Synonyms | |
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Gymnopelia morenoi | |
Taxonomy and systematics
editThe Moreno's ground dove and its sister species bare-faced ground dove (Metriopelia ceciliae) were previously placed in genus Gymnopelia.[4] It is monotypic.[2]
Description
editMoreno's ground dove is about 17 cm (6.7 in) long. The adult's upperparts are mostly dull brown with a grayish head and shoulders. Its throat is light gray darkening to brownish gray on the breast and belly, buffy at the vent, and reddish brown on the undertail coverts. The outer tail feathers are black with white tips. Its eye is blue surrounded by bright orange bare skin that in turn is surrounded by a thin black line. The sexes are essentially alike except that the female's eye surround is paler. The juvenile's plumage is similar to the adults' but many feathers have rufous fringes.[5]
Distribution and habitat
editMoreno's ground dove is found only in northwestern Argentina. It inhabits temperate and puna grassland characterized by cactus, scrub, and at lower elevation scattered trees. In elevation it ranges from at least 1,800 to 3,200 m (5,900 to 10,500 ft).[5]
Behavior
editFeeding
editMoreno's ground dove is known to feed on the ground, usually in small groups, but its diet has not been documented.[5]
Breeding
editMoreno's ground dove lays its two eggs in cavities in earthen banks. No other information about its breeding phenology has been published.[5]
Vocalization
edit
Though the bare-faced ground dove's vocalizations are not well known, it "has been recorded producing cooing calls: a series of 3–5 soft and nasal 'cuEec cuEec cuEec', as well as a faster and deeper sounding series of 'coo coo coo coo coo'."[5]
Status
editThe IUCN has assessed Moreno's ground dove as being of Least Concern.[1] However, it has a very small range and is "[v]ery poorly known and little studied."[5]
References
edit- ^ a b BirdLife International (2016). "Moreno's Ground-dove Metriopelia morenoi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ a b Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (July 2021). "IOC World Bird List (v 11.2)". Retrieved July 14, 2021.
- ^ Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ Retrieved August 25, 2021
- ^ 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
- ^ a b c d e f Baptista, L. F., P. W. Trail, H. M. Horblit, P. F. D. Boesman, and E. F. J. Garcia (2020). Bare-eyed Ground Dove (Metriopelia morenoi), 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.begdov1.01 retrieved September 16, 2021