Eared Dove

Quick Facts

  • Scientific Name: Zenaida auriculata
  • Spanish Name: Palomita orejuda
  • Family: Columbidae
  • Known Nicknames: Eared Dove, Torcaza, Paloma de la Virgen
  • Average Length: 24–28 cm / 9.4–11 in
  • Average Weight: 80–130 g / 2.8–4.6 oz
  • Wingspan: 45–55 cm / 17.7–21.7 in
  • Key Feature: Black crescent-shaped mark on the side of the neck behind the ear coverts
  • Primary Diet: Primarily Granivore
  • Range: South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago)
  • Habitat: Open woodlands, savannas, agricultural fields, urban areas
  • Social Structure: Highly Social (often forms large flocks)
  • Nesting/Breeding: Flimsy platform nest in trees or shrubs
  • Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC)
  • Population Trend: Stable

The Eared Dove (*Zenaida auriculata*) is a sleek, swift-flying bird native to South America, distinguished by a striking iridescent patch of purple and green on its neck and a subtle, dark "ear" stripe behind the eye that gives it its name. Its general appearance is that of a slender, long-tailed pigeon, with soft grayish-brown plumage, a pinkish-buff belly, and bright blue orbital skin around the eyes. One of its most special features is its extraordinary adaptability: it thrives in diverse habitats from arid scrublands to bustling cities, often forming enormous flocks that can number in the thousands. Additionally, its mournful, cooing call—a series of descending notes—is a familiar sound across its range, and it plays a key ecological role as a prolific seed disperser.

Fun Facts

While they might appear as ordinary city doves, Eared Doves possess a bizarre and highly effective survival trick: they can drink seawater. Their specialized salt glands, located near their eyes, filter out excess salt, allowing them to hydrate from sources that would dehydrate other birds—a crucial adaptation for life in arid South American landscapes. They are also notorious for their explosive, nomadic flocking behavior, sometimes forming aggregations of over a million birds that descend on agricultural fields like a feathered locust swarm.

Habitats & Distribution

The Eared Dove is widely distributed across South America, ranging from Colombia and Venezuela south through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina, reaching as far as central Chile and Tierra del Fuego. It also inhabits the southern Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, and has recently expanded into the southern Lesser Antilles. This species thrives in a variety of open and semi-open environments, including agricultural lands, pastures, savannas, scrublands, urban parks, and gardens. It is highly adaptable to human-modified landscapes, often becoming abundant in cities and around grain fields, but it generally avoids dense, continuous forests.

Behaviours & Reproduction

Eared Doves are highly social, often forming large flocks outside the breeding season, which can number in the thousands and feed communally in agricultural areas. During reproduction, they are monogamous, with pairs forming strong bonds for the breeding season, and males court females by bowing and cooing while fanning their tails. Nesting is a unique strategy: they are prolific and adaptable, often breeding multiple times per year in response to food availability, building flimsy twig nests in trees, shrubs, or even on the ground. Both parents share incubation duties for about 12–14 days, and the chicks, called squabs, are fed "crop milk" produced by both adults, allowing rapid growth and early fledging at around 12–15 days. This high reproductive output, combined with their tolerance of disturbed habitats, enables them to exploit seasonal resources and maintain dense populations.

Diet

The Eared Dove is primarily granivorous, with seeds making up the vast majority of its diet, particularly those from cultivated crops like sorghum, maize, rice, and wheat, as well as wild grasses and weeds. Interestingly, these doves exhibit a highly adaptable foraging behavior, often feeding in large flocks directly on the ground in agricultural fields, which can make them a significant pest in some regions. They also consume small amounts of fruits, berries, and occasionally snails or grit to aid digestion, but their reliance on dry seeds means they must drink water frequently, often traveling long distances to reach reliable water sources.

Colors

The Eared Dove is predominantly soft grayish-brown with a pinkish-buff wash on the chest and belly. Its most distinctive markings are a black crescent-shaped spot on the ear coverts and a black patch on the lower wing, which contrasts with iridescent blue-green and purple on the neck and sides. The tail is long and pointed with white tips on the outer feathers. This muted coloration provides effective camouflage in arid and open habitats.