Blue-headed quail-dove

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Blue-headed quail-dove
Blue-headed quail dove (Starnoenas cyanocephala).JPG
Blue-headed quail-dove
Near Playa Larga, Cuba
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Starnoenas
Bonaparte, 1838
Species:
S. cyanocephala
Binomial name
Starnoenas cyanocephala
Starnoenas cyanocephala map.svg
Synonyms

Columba cyanocephalaLinnaeus, 1758

The blue-headed quail dove (Starnoenas cyanocephala), or blue-headed partridge-dove, is a species of bird in the pigeon and dove family Columbidae that is endemic to the island of Cuba. It is monotypic within the subfamily Starnoenadinae and genus Starnoenas. [2] [3]

Contents

Taxonomy

In 1734 the English naturalist Eleazar Albin included a picture and a description of the blue-headed quail-dove in his A Natural History of Birds. His drawing was made from a live bird that had been brought to England from the East Indies. [4] When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition, he placed the blue-headed quail-dove with all the other pigeons in the genus Columba . Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Columba cyanocephala and cited Albin's work. [5] The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek kuanos meaning "dark blue" and -kephalos meaning "-headed". [6] It is now the only species placed in the genus Starnoenas that was introduced by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1838. [7] [8] The species is monotypic; no subspecies are accepted. [8]

A taxonomic review of the species' taxonomic history, morphology, anatomy, behavior, distribution, and zoogeography was published in 2016. It found that this species is unlike any other New World Columbidae and shares characteristics with many Australasian genera, the most similar being the Australian Geophaps and related terrestrial pigeons. The study recommended that the species be placed in its own subfamily, Starnoenadinae. However, additional data, including molecular, must be studied to further refine its relationship with Australasian pigeons. The study has also recommended that the English name be changed to "blue-headed partridge-dove" to distinguish it from New World quail-doves. [2]

A more detailed molecular phylogenetic study published in 2025 examining many additional pigeon species found that the blue-headed quail dove was sister to the subfamily Columbinae, and not closer to the group including Geophaps as the 2016 study had suggested. [9]

Description

This bird has a mainly cinnamon-brown body with a bright blue crown, black eye stripe, white facial stripe, and a black gorget narrowly bordered with white markings and blue mottling on the sides. 30–33 cm in length. [1]

Behavior

This species lives primarily on the forest floor where it forages for seeds, berries, and snails. It is generally found in pairs, though larger groups have been recorded with 18 birds found at a water hole in 1995. Breeding occurs mainly between April and June, with nests made on or close to the ground. [1]

Habitat

This species is endemic to Cuba. Its natural habitat is lowland forests and swampy areas. It can occasionally be found in highland forests. [1]

Conservation

The species was once common and widespread throughout Cuba. Today, it is very rare or virtually extinct in most of its range. As of 2012, the population size is estimated to be between 1,000 and 2,499 individuals and there are three populations with good numbers near the Zapata Swamp and in the Pinar del Río Province. However, the density of this species may be greater than previously estimated, and as such there may be more individuals than previously expected. The population is suspected to have a slow or moderate declining trend. The major threats to the species continue to be hunting and habitat destruction. Its meat tastes good and thus the animal is still illegally trapped. Large hurricanes are also a threat to the species due to the damage caused to large areas of forest.[ citation needed ]

It is protected under national law, though this is not enforced and hunting continues. The only known highland population is protected in the La Güira National Park. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbidae</span> Family of birds

Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They feed largely on plant matter, feeding on seeds (granivory), fruit (frugivory), and foliage (folivory). The family occurs worldwide, often in close proximity with humans, but the greatest diversity is in the Indomalayan and Australasian realms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European turtle dove</span> Threatened or vulnerable species of bird

The European turtle dove is a threatened or vulnerable member of the bird family Columbidae, the doves and pigeons. It breeds over a wide area of the south western Palearctic including north Africa but migrates to northern sub-Saharan Africa to winter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mourning dove</span> North American bird in the family Columbidae

The mourning dove is a member of the dove family, Columbidae. The bird is also known as the American mourning dove, the rain dove, the chueybird, colloquially as the turtle dove, and it was once known as the Carolina pigeon and Carolina turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread North American birds and a popular gamebird, with more than 20 million birds shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure is due to its prolific breeding; in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods of two young each in a single year. The wings make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing, a form of sonation. The bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph).

<i>Columba</i> (genus) Genus of pigeons

The bird genus Columba comprises a genus of medium to large pigeons. The terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used indiscriminately for smaller and larger Columbidae, respectively. Columba species are mostly termed "pigeons", and in many cases "wood pigeons", but some, are termed "doves". The rock dove has given rise to the majority of domesticated pigeon breeds, such as the racing pigeon and the fantail pigeon, some of which have become feral. Meanwhile, "wood pigeon" by itself usually means the common wood pigeon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicobar pigeon</span> Species of bird

The Nicobar pigeon or Nicobar dove is a bird found on small islands and in coastal regions from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, east through the Indonesian Archipelago, to the Solomons and Palau. It is the only living member of the genus Caloenas alongside the extinct spotted green pigeon and Kanaka pigeon, and is the closest living relative of the extinct dodo and Rodrigues solitaire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinaceous dove</span> Species of bird

The vinaceous dove is a bird species in the pigeon family Columbidae that widely resident across the Sahel and Sudan (region).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common emerald dove</span> Bird species

The emerald dove or common emerald dove, also called Asian emerald dove and grey-capped emerald dove, is a widespread resident breeding pigeon native to the tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The dove is also known by the names of green dove and green-winged pigeon. The common emerald dove is the state bird of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Pacific emerald dove and Stephan's emerald dove were both considered conspecific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-crowned pigeon</span> Species of bird

The white-crowned pigeon is a fruit and seed-eating species of bird in the dove and pigeon family Columbidae. It is found primarily in the Caribbean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruddy quail-dove</span> Species of bird

The ruddy quail-dove is a species of bird in the dove and pigeon family Columbidae. It breeds throughout the West Indies, Central America, and tropical South America. It has appeared as a vagrant in Florida and southern Texas. It lays two buff-colored eggs on a flimsy platform built on a shrub. Some nests are built on the ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madagascar blue pigeon</span> Species of bird

The Madagascar blue pigeon or Madagascan blue pigeon is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. The species is closely related to the other two extant species of blue pigeon, the Comoros blue pigeon and the Seychelles blue pigeon. It is endemic to northern and eastern Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plain-breasted ground dove</span> Species of bird

The plain-breasted ground dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It lacks the scaled appearance to the feathers of the similar and typically more abundant common ground dove.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polynesian ground dove</span> Species of bird

The Polynesian ground dove or Society Islands ground dove or Tutururu is a critically endangered species of bird in the family Columbidae. Originally endemic to the Society Islands and Tuamotus in French Polynesia, it has now been extirpated from most of its former range by habitat loss and predation by introduced species such as cats and rats, and the species is now endemic only in the Acteon islands. The total population is estimated to be around 100-120 birds.

<i>Geotrygon</i> Genus of birds

Geotrygon is a bird genus in the pigeon and dove family (Columbidae). Its members are called quail-doves, and all live in the Neotropics. The species of this genus have ranges from southern Mexico and Central America to the West Indies and South America, with 2 species recorded as occasional vagrants reported in Texas and Florida in the United States. Quail-doves are ground-dwelling pigeons that live, nest, and feed in dense forests. They are remarkable for their vivid coloration with light-and-dark facial markings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-green fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The grey-green fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Society Islands in French Polynesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claret-breasted fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The claret-breasted fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in the Moluccas, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands archipelago. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">São Tomé green pigeon</span> Species of bird

The São Tomé green pigeon is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the island of São Tomé in São Tomé and Príncipe. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. The species was described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. They have disappeared from Ilhéu das Rolas due to habitat loss. There are between 37,007 and 109,255 pigeons of this species today, but this is decreasing due to unsustainable levels of hunting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-spotted wood dove</span> Species of bird

The blue-spotted wood dove or blue-spotted dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is abundantly present throughout Africa south of the Sahel; it is partially present in East Africa and absent in southern Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuban bullfinch</span> Species of bird

The Cuban bullfinch is a species of songbird belonging to the genus Melopyrrha. It is a member of the tanager family Thraupidae falls under the subfamily Coerebinae, which also includes Darwin's finches.

In the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, published in 1758, the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus described 554 species of bird and gave each a binomial name.

<i>Columbinae</i> Subfamily of birds

Columbinae is a subfamily of birds from the family Columbidae. Otherwise, four genera Geotrygon, Leptotila, Starnoenas and Zenaida form subfamily Leptotilinae.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 BirdLife International (2020). "Starnoenas cyanocephala". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T22690970A178419260. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22690970A178419260.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Olson, Storrs L.; Wiley, James W. (2016). "The Blue-headed Quail-Dove (Starnoenas cyanocephala): an Australasian dove marooned in Cuba". The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 128 (1): 1–21. doi:10.1676/1559-4491-128.1.1. S2CID   87628107.
  3. Thomas M. Brooks; John D. Pilgrim; Ana S. L. Rodrigues & Gustavo A. B. Da Fonseca (2005). "Conservation status and geographic distribution of avian evolutionary history". In Andy Purvis; John L. Gittleman & Thomas Brooks (eds.). Phylogeny and Conservation. Conservation Biology. Vol. 8. Cambridge University Press. pp. 267–294. ISBN   978-0-521-82502-3.
  4. Albin, Eleazar; Derham, William (1734). A Natural History of Birds : Illustrated with a Hundred and One Copper Plates, Curiously Engraven from the Life. Vol. 2. London: Printed for the author and sold by William Innys. p. 45, Plate 49.
  5. Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii. p. 163.
  6. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 126. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  7. Bonaparte, Charles Lucien (1838). A Geographical and Comparative List of the Birds of Europe and North America. London: John Van Voorst. p. 41.
  8. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Pigeons". IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  9. Oswald, J.A.; Boyd, B.M.; Szewczak, A.R.; LeFebvre, M.J.; Stucky, B.J.; Guralnick, R.P.; Johnson, K.P.; Allen, J.M.; Steadman, D.W. (2025). "Genomic data reveal that the Cuban blue-headed quail-dove (Starnoenas cyanocephala) is a biogeographic relict". Biology Letters. 21 (1): 20240464. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0464 .