Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata) lives in open woodland savanna across South America. It feeds on seeds and fruits. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Eared Dove
- At just 24 cm (9.4 in) long and weighing about 112 g (4.0 oz), the eared dove is. Its modest dimensions also mean it can perch on thin telephone wires and nest in modest shrub canopies, allowing it to thrive wherever humans build, from rural fields to bustling Bogotá plazas.
- More than 23 million eared doves are thought to roost over the Córdoba fields in northern Argentina, and recent estimates push that number up to 32 million. In a single day a hunter can fire at 1,000 birds, turning the sky into a moving cloud of feathers. Such staggering densities keep the sport alive year-round and show how the species can sustain massive, human-driven harvests without collapsing, unlike the passenger pigeon of the 1800s.
- Eared doves can breed up to four times a year when food is plentiful, laying two white eggs that hatch in 12-14 days and fledge after another 9 days. In Argentina's cultivated lands, colonies stretch about 5 km long by 1 km wide and may hold up to 5 million birds at once.
- When wheat, rice, sorghum, maize or soybeans are in season, those crops can make up the entire diet of eared doves, turning them into agricultural pests. Their reliance on cultivated grains means they often flock to large soy and sorghum plantations, where they can number in the millions. This close tie to human-grown food explains why farmers both battle and profit from them, hunting the birds that feed on their own harvests.
- The species thrives from sea level to 4,400 m (14,435 ft) above sea level, occupying arid scrub, savanna grasslands. Its comfort with humans is evident: it perches on wires, fills urban parks in Bogotá, and feeds at beach resorts in Tobago.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSouth America
HabitatOpen woodland savanna
DietSeeds and fruits
About the Eared Dove
As the sun rises over the South American savannah, the eared dove stirs, its gentle coos wafting on the morning breeze like a soft whisper. With wings a muted blend of grey and brown, it takes to the skies, its fluid flight a masterclass in understated elegance, as it glides effortlessly between the grasses and shrubs in search of seeds and fruits. In its unassuming way, this dove is a remarkable creature, its ability to thrive in a wide range of habitats a testament to its quiet resilience.
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