# Ruddy Quail-Dove

Scientific name: Geotrygon montana

Bird group: [dove](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/dove)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/64/Ruddy-Quail-Dove

## Identification

The ruddy quail-dove (Geotrygon montana) 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.
The ruddy quail-dove is approximately 19–28 cm in length.   The bird is distinguished by having a rust-colored back, facial mask and similarly colored wings.  The breast, rump and undereye stripe are lighter brown.  


## Distribution and habitat

The Ruddy Quail-Dove breeds from Mexico to Brazil and 
throughout the West Indies 
(Raffaele and others 1998). In 
Puerto Rico, it has been reported 
from Maricao and Carite State 
Forests (Bowdish 1902, Oberle 
2018), all forested areas at 
lower elevations of the Sierra 
de Luquillo (Recher and Recher 
1966), and Mona (Terborgh and 
Faaborg 1973). It is described 
as extremely rare on Vieques 
(Gemmill 2015). This species 
usually inhabits humid and 
heavily forested areas among 
the hills and mountains, and it is common in coffee, citrus, and 
cacao plantations (Bond 1961, 
Oberle 2000, Raffaele 1989a). 
It is associated with dense 
forests with a well-developed 
understory (Oberle 2018), as 
it dwells mostly on the forest 
fl oor (Raffaele 1989a). The atlas 
fieldwork yielded a total of 97 
records within 77 hexagons or 16 
percent of the 479 total hexagons 
(see map). Of the 77 hexagons 
where this species was found, 
breeding met the atlas definition 
of confirmed in 4 percent (3) 
of the hexagons, probable in 5 
percent (4), and possible in 91 
percent (70) (see map). Ruddy Quail-Dove distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in 
Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.       55Ruddy Quail-Dove/Paloma Perdiz Rojiza

## Breeding

The Ruddy Quail-Dove builds nests made of twigs and leaves, 
usually low on fallen trees 
or small shrubs (Biaggi 1997, 
Raffaele 1989a). The nests are 
commonly constructed near or 
on the ground, and previously 
published reports indicate that 
breeding occurs from February 
to August (Raffaele 1989a). 
Nevertheless, atlas results show 
that this species breeding season 
extends throughout the year, 
with the most breeding activity 
in April, May, and June (see 
chart). Results show that this species breeds mostly within the 
subtropical moist forest life zone 
(53 percent of the hexagons), 
as well as in subtropical wet 
and lower montane wet forest 
life zones (36 percent of the 
hexagons) to a lesser extent 
(see table and map). Most of the 
confirmed breeding records are 
from the Sierra de Luquillo.

## Conservation

This species is currently listed as a species of least concern by 
the IUCN (BirdLife International 
2016). However, it is predicted 
to lose 16.5–18.7 percent of suitable habitat within its 
distribution range over three 
generations, or around 14 
years, based on Amazonian 
deforestation model projections 
(Bird and others 2012, Soares-
Filho and others 2006). Locally, 
this species is not listed in any 
of the threatened categories of 
PRDNER and USFWS. In Puerto 
Rico, the Ruddy Quail-Dove has 
a protected habitat in land of 25 
percent or 455 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons 
where evidence of breeding 
was found for this species 
(1842 km2). 

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_064_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_064_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.