Ruddy Ground-Dove
Columbina talpacoti
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderColumbiformes
- FamilyColumbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
- GenusColumbina (Small Ground Doves)
- SpeciesColumbina talpacoti (Ruddy Ground-Dove)
The ruddy ground dove (Columbina talpacoti) is a small New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder from Mexico south to Brazil, Peru and Paraguay, and northern Argentina, and on Trinidad and Tobago. Individual birds can sometimes be seen in the southwestern USA, from southern Texas to southernmost California, primarily during winter. The ruddy ground dove is very common in scrub and other open country, including cultivated land and urban centers, where it can be seen feeding on grain alongside feral pigeons. It builds a solid but sparsely lined cup-shaped stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Incubation is 12–13 days with another 12–14 days to fledging. Wikipedia →
40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Ground-Dove sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, based on 1,008 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
Common Ground-Dove
Columbina passerina
Plain-breasted Ground-Dove
Columbina minuta
White-winged Dove
Zenaida asiatica
White-tipped Dove
Leptotila verreauxi
Red-billed Pigeon
Patagioenas flavirostris
Scaled Pigeon
Patagioenas speciosa
White-crowned Pigeon
Patagioenas leucocephala
Caribbean Dove
Leptotila jamaicensis
Ruddy Quail-Dove
Geotrygon montana
Blue Ground-Dove
Claravis pretiosa
Gray-headed Dove
Leptotila plumbeiceps
Pale-vented Pigeon
Patagioenas cayennensis
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Ruddy Ground-Dove in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
About 49% of wildlife watchers report a Ruddy Ground-Dove sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, based on 1,008 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Ruddy Ground-Dove in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
January has the highest sighting rate for Ruddy Ground-Dove in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.