Columbina (genus)

Columbina
Ruddy ground-dove, Columbina talpacoti
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Columbina
Spix, 1825
Species
Synonyms

Columbigallina
Scardafella

Columbina is a genus that contains seven species of small ground-doves that live in the New World. Species in Columbina have ranges from the southern United States through Central America and much of South America. Columbina doves are normally found in pairs or small flocks. They generally occur in open country. They have maroon irides and pinkish legs. In flight, some species show a distinctive flash of rufous in the wings, while others show black-and-white wing-patterns.

Blue-eyed ground-dove (above), and Ecuadorian ground dove (below); illustration by Keulemans, 1893

Species

The following 2 species are usually placed here, but separated in genus Scardafella by some authors:

"Columbina" prattae from Early Miocene deposits of Florida is nowadays tentatively separated in Arenicolumba, but its distinction from Columbina/Scardafella needs to be more firmly established.

References