Gray-chested Dove

About the Gray-chested Dove

The grey-chested dove (Leptotila cassinii) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. The grey-chested dove is closely related to the Tolima dove (Leptotila conoveri) and ochre-bellied dove (L. ochraceiventris), and might form a superspecies with them. It has three subspecies, the nominate L. c. cassinii, L. c. cerviniventris, and L. c. rufinucha.

The grey-chested dove is 22.5 to 28 cm (8.9 to 11.0 in) long and weighs 132 to 179 g (4.7 to 6.3 oz). The nominate subspecies has a pinkish gray forehead and face, dark brown crown and nape, and an iridescent grayish purple hindneck. Its upperparts are olive-brown with an iridescent green or purple mantle. The tail is darker than the back and the outer feathers have white tips. Its throat is white, the breast reddish gray, and the belly reddish. The eye is shades of yellow surrounded by bare gray skin that is reddish at its front and back. The legs and feet are red. Males and females are essentially alike but that the female is darker overall. L. c. rufinucha is paler than the nominate, with... Wikipedia →