Bare-faced Ground-Dove

About the Bare-faced Ground-Dove

The bare-faced ground dove (Metriopelia ceciliae) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. The bare-faced ground dove and its sister species Moreno's ground dove (Metriopelia morenoi) were previously placed in genus Gymnopelia. Three subspecies are recognized, the nominate Metropelia ceciliae ceciliae, M. c. obsoleta, and M. c. zimmeri. However, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Birds of the World considers M. c. obsoleta to be "doubtfully valid".

The bare-faced ground dove is 16 to 17 cm (6.3 to 6.7 in) long and weighs about 66 g (2.3 oz). The nominate subspecies is brown or grayish brown above, with white or buffy tips on feathers giving a spotted appearance. Its neck and breast are gray with a reddish or pinkish tinge and its belly is buffy. The outer tail feathers are black with white tips. The eye is blue or bluish white surrounded by bare yellow to orange skin that is itself surrounded by narrow black feathers. Male and female plumages are essentially alike though the female's breast is less pink. Juveniles are similar to the adults. M. c. obsoleta is paler and grayer than... Wikipedia →