# Bridled Quail-Dove

Scientific name: Geotrygon mystacea

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

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/68/Bridled-Quail-Dove

## Identification

The bridled quail-dove (Geotrygon mystacea) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found from Saint Lucia in the Lesser Antilles north and west to Puerto Rico.
Specimens of bridled quail-dove from several islands had mean weights between 208 and 224 g (7.3 and 7.9 oz) with fairly large standard deviations. These data and measurements of various body parts suggest that the species "has low morphometric variance across its distribution."


## Distribution and habitat

The Bridled Quail-Dove is an extremely rare resident species 
in Puerto Rico (Raffaele and 
others 1998). On Vieques, it is 
described as a rare resident, 
restricted to the higher elevations 
of Mt. Pirata and Cerro El Buey 
(Gemmill 2015), and there are 
also records from Culebra (Biaggi 
1997). This species is a secretive 
forest dweller that prefers dense 
mountain or lowland woodlands 
(Boal 2011, Raffaele and others 
1998). The atlas fieldwork 
yielded a total of 10 records 
within three hexagons or 0.6 
percent of the 479 total hexagons (see map). Of the three hexagons 
where this species was found, 
breeding met the atlas definition 
of confirmed in 33 percent (one) 
of the hexagons and possible in 
67 percent (two) (see map). 

## Breeding

Bridled Quail-Dove nests are small platforms of twigs that 
are placed in vines, shrubs, and 
trees at a low height. Previously 
published reports indicate that 
breeding takes place primarily 
from May to July but also from 
October to December (Boal 
2011, Raffaele and others 1998). 
Atlas results do not show a clear Bridled 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.      59Bridled Quail-Dove/Paloma Perdiz de Martinicapattern as evidence of breeding is very low for this species (see chart). Results show that all 
breeding activity was associated 
with the subtropical moist forest 
life zone (100 percent of the 
hexagons) (see table and map).

## Conservation

The Bridled Quail-Dove population is suspected to 
be declining owing to habitat alteration and loss throughout its 
distribution (mostly the eastern 
Caribbean and Virgin Islands); 
introduction of mongooses 
(Herpestes auropunctatus), cats (Felis catus), and rats (Rattus 
spp.) to islands; and hunting 
(Boal 2011). However, the 
Bridled Quail-Dove is listed as 
a species of least concern by 
the IUCN (BirdLife International 
2016), whereas in Puerto Rico it is a conservation priority due 
to lack of data (PRDNER 2015, 
2016). In Puerto Rico, the Bridled 
Quail-Dove has a protected 
habitat in land of 23 percent or 
16 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons where evidence 
of breeding was found for this 
species (71 km2). 

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_068_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_068_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.