Galápagos Dove

About the Galápagos Dove

The Galápagos dove (Zenaida galapagoensis) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands. It is fairly common and is found in a wide range of open and semi-open habitats, especially in the arid lowlands of the archipelago.

Two subspecies exist: Zenaida galapagoensis galapagoensis (Gould, 1839) – the nominate subspecies. Found on the major islands of the Galapagos, with the exception of Darwin Island and Wolf Island. Zenaida galapagoensis exsul (Rothschild & Hartert, 1899) – Slightly larger and darker than Z. g. galapagoensis. Found only on Darwin Island and Wolf Island.

Despite the geographic isolation of the bird on different islands, there is significant gene flow between the different island populations, owing to frequent migration between islands. This has not entirely prevented the formation of subspecies however, as environmental factors such as wind currents, distance between islands, and even ocean currents affect where birds travel. Yet their impressive flight ability has ensured that the species remains fairly homogenous across the islands, unlike the Galapagos hawk (which has significant variations in... Wikipedia →