Zenaida Dove
Zenaida aurita

f5.6 @ 1/640s, ISO:800, Nikon D3S w 300mm and 1.7X teleconverter

\"Zenaida Dove,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The zenaida dove is a member of the bird family Columbidae, which includes doves and pigeons. It is the national bird of Anguilla, where it is commonly (but erroneously) referred to as a turtle dove.The zenaida dove breeds throughout the Caribbean and the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula, an example habitat being in the Petenes mangroves.(World Wildlife Fund. 2010) It was reported by John James Audubon to breed in the Florida Keys, but there are only three verifiable records from Florida. This bird is found in a variety of open and semi-open habitats. Its mournful cooOOoo-coo-coo-coo call is similar to the call of a mourning dove, but faster in pace. These birds forage on the ground, mainly eating grains and seeds, sometimes also on insects. Zenaida doves frequently feed close to water. They often swallow fine gravel to assist with digestion, and will also ingest salt from mineral rich soils or livestock salt licks. It is thought the salt aids in egg formation and/or production of pigeon milk.

Long Bay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

02/16/2016