CUBAN COLUMBIFORMES - Doves, Pigeons

There are around 12 species of doves and pigeons found in Cuba. Doves and pigeons have small heads, plump bodies, short necks, and small bills with soft fleshy covering at the base called the cere. They have a ring of skin around their eyes that can be red, yellow, blue, or white. They eat seeds, fruits, and other plant matter. Doves and pigeons that eat seeds are usually gray or brown; fruit eating species are often more brightly colored.

Pigeons and doves pairs stay together and mate from year-to-year. Pigeons and doves feed their chicks crop-milk for the first few days after they hatch. Crop milk is a milky substance that comes form the bird's crop. The crop is special food-storage chamber that is part of the bird's digestive system. Both the male and the female produce crop milk. Crop milk is high in fat and vitamins A and B and helps the chicks grow!

One species, the blue-headed quail dove, is only found in Cuba. While it was once common throughout Cuba, it is now very rare and found in only a few locations.

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CUBAN COLUMBIFORMES - Doves, Pigeons

Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in the Wild Extinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in NH Introduced Breeds in NH (Birds)
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

Location
Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe North America South America NH Click for More Info Click for Image

Species	Sounds	Occurrence
Rock Pigeon - Columba livia		Year-round/Introduced
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Bernabe Lopez-Lanus
Scaly-naped Pigeon - Patagioenas squamosa		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Daniel Lane
White-crowned Pigeon - Patagioenas leucocephala		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Andrew Spencer
Plain Pigeon - Patagioenas inornata		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Laura Gooch
White-winged Dove - Zenaida asiatica		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Chris Harrison
Zenaida Dove - Zenaida aurita		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Daniel Lane
Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Andrew Spenser
Common Ground-dove - Columbina passerina		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Andrew Spenser
Key West Quail-dove - Geotrygon chrysia		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Paul van Els
Gray-headed Quail-dove - Geotrygon caniceps		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Scott Connop
Ruddy Quail-dove - Geotrygon montana		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Alexandre Bianco
Blue-headed Quail-dove - Starnoenas cyanocephala		Endemic
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Scott Connop

Additional Information

Key: Profile Photos Video Audio

Rock Pigeon - Columba livia
The rock pigeon is found from southern Canada and Alaska south through the United States, Mexico, and Central America. The rock pigeon is native to Europe, North Africa, and southwestern Asia. In the 17th-century, colonists brought the rock pigeon to Atlantic Coast settlements in North America.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Rock Pigeon - Columba livia
The rock pigeon is found in variety of habitats including rocky cliffs, farm land, parks, gardens, cities, and suburbs.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Scaly-naped Pigeon - Patagioenas squamosa
The scaly-naped pigeon is found in the Caribbean.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-crowned Pigeon - Patagioenas leucocephala
The white-crowned pigeon is found in southern Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-crowned Pigeon - Patagioenas leucocephala
The white-crowned pigeon eats fruits and berries.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Plain Pigeon - Patagioenas inornata
The plain pigeon is found in the Caribbean.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-winged Dove - Zenaida asiatica
In the U.S., the white-winged dove is found in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and along the Gulf Coast. It is also found in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-winged Dove - Zenaida asiatica
Although the white-winged dove's range in the U.S. is in the southwest and Gulf states, it has been observed as far north as Alaska to Ontario, Maine, and Newfoundland.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Zenaida Dove - Zenaida aurita
The Zenaida dove is found in the Caribbean and southern Mexico.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura
The mourning dove breeds from southern Canada south through most of the United States. Only the northern most populations migrate in the fall. The mourning dove is also found in Central America and the Caribbean.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura
The mourning dove is found in variety of open habitats including farms, parks, woods, deserts, forest edges, cities, and suburbs. 
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura
The mourning dove is named for is haunting and sad cooing sound. Its call is sometimes mistaken for the call of an owl.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Ground-dove - Columbina passerina
The common ground dove is found from California east to South Carolina and south to South America.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Key West Quail-dove - Geotrygon chrysia
The Key West quail-dove is found in the Caribbean.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Gray-headed Quail-dove - Geotrygon caniceps
The gray-headed quail-dove is found in Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Ruddy Quail-dove - Geotrygon montana
The ruddy quail-dove is found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Blue-headed Quail-dove - Starnoenas cyanocephala
The blue-headed quail-dove is found in Cuba.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School