Bare-faced Ground-Dove (Metriopelia ceciliae)

Identification & Behavior: ~17.5 cm (7 in). The Bare-faced Ground-Dove is brown with large white spots on the upperparts. The underparts are brown and unmarked. The iris is pale. The orbital skin is broad and orange. The bill is black. The tail is blackish with a white terminal band and white on the outer tail feathers. The color structure may resemble that of a Spot-winged Pigeon, but it is tiny in comparison. Also see, Black-winged Ground-Dove.

Status: The Bare-face Ground-Dove is common in open and scrub habitats and in the west slope of the Andes and inter-Andean valleys at elevations ranging between 1700-400oq m. It occurs at lower elevation is southwest Peru. It also occurs in Bo and Ch.

Name in Spanish: Tortolita Moteada.

Sub-species: Bare-faced Ground-Dove (Metriopelia ceciliae ceciliae), Lesson 1845. W Peru.
(M. c. obsoleta), J. T. Zimmer 1924. E Peruvian Andes in upper Marañón Valley and its tributaries in N Peru (S to La Raya).
(M. c. zimmeri), J. L. Peters 1937. Extreme S Peru through Bolivia.

Meaning of Name: Metriopelia: Gr. Metrios= temperature, moderate and Peleia= a dove. ceciliae: in honor of Cecile Gautrau, daughter of French Naturalist Rene Primavre.

See more of the Family Columbidae