{"id":253153,"date":"2026-02-18T23:01:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T04:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/?post_type=fauna&#038;p=253153"},"modified":"2026-03-08T06:15:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T11:15:09","slug":"scaled-dove","status":"publish","type":"fauna","link":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/faune-2\/scaled-dove\/","title":{"rendered":"Scaled Dove"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Columbina squammata<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":253169,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":""},"collection":[],"country":[11],"fauna-group":[27475],"fauna-type":[27217],"class_list":["post-253153","fauna","type-fauna","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","country-colombia","fauna-group-doves","fauna-type-birds"],"acf":{"scientific_name":"Columbina squammata","animal_description":"The Scaled Dove (*Columbina squammata*) is a small, elegant bird native to the dry woodlands and urban gardens of South America, most notable for the intricate, armor-like pattern of its plumage. Its pale grayish-brown feathers are delicately fringed with black, creating a striking \"scaly\" appearance that covers its entire body and provides excellent camouflage against the ground. Beyond its visual charm, this dove is famous for its distinctive acoustic presence; it produces a sharp, mechanical whistling sound with its wings during takeoff and possesses a rhythmic, two-note call that has earned it the onomatopoeic nickname \"fogo-pagou\" in Brazil. Often seen foraging in pairs or small groups, the Scaled Dove is a resilient and charismatic species that combines subtle beauty with unique behavioral traits.","animal_habitat":"This species thrives in a variety of semi-open and open environments, particularly in arid or semi-arid regions. It is frequently found in the caatinga and cerrado biomes, as well as in scrublands, pastures, and agricultural fields. It has also adapted well to human-modified landscapes, commonly appearing in suburban gardens, urban parks, and orchards where there is sparse vegetation and bare ground for foraging.\n\nIts geographical range is primarily concentrated in eastern and central South America. The largest population spans across central and northeastern Brazil, extending southward into Paraguay, eastern Bolivia, and northern Argentina. A separate, disjunct population also exists in northern South America, inhabiting parts of Colombia and Venezuela.","animal_behavior_and_reproduction":"Typically found foraging on the ground in pairs or small, loose flocks, these birds maintain a social structure based on monogamous pairings. They are known for their terrestrial habits and a distinctive mechanical rattling sound produced by their wings when taking flight. During the breeding period, pairs become more territorial as they select nesting sites in trees, shrubs, or occasionally on the ground.\n\nTheir reproductive cycle centers on a fragile, platform-like nest constructed from twigs and grass. A standard clutch consists of two white eggs, with both parents sharing incubation duties for roughly two weeks. Following hatching, both the male and female provide biparental care, nourishing the chicks with \"crop milk\" produced in their digestive tracts. This species is capable of producing multiple broods throughout the year, especially in tropical regions where food resources remain stable.","diet":"The Scaled Dove is primarily a granivore, focusing its diet almost exclusively on small seeds harvested from the ground in open habitats, pastures, and urban environments. These birds spend a significant portion of their day foraging in pairs or small groups, pecking at the earth to find seeds from various grasses and herbaceous plants. An interesting aspect of their feeding behavior is their reliance on gastroliths; they ingest tiny pebbles or grit to aid the gizzard in mechanically breaking down the tough outer shells of the seeds they consume. Furthermore, like other members of the Columbidae family, the Scaled Dove possesses the unique ability to drink water by submerging its beak and sucking the liquid up continuously, rather than tilting its head back to swallow like most other bird species. While they are predominantly seed-eaters, they may occasionally supplement their diet with small insects or snails, though such instances are relatively rare compared to their staple intake of plant matter.","colors":"The Scaled Dove is characterized by pale greyish-brown plumage marked with prominent black feather edges that create a uniform, scalloped appearance across its body. It features conspicuous white wing patches and white-tipped outer tail feathers that contrast with darker primaries during flight. This intricate \"scaled\" pattern provides excellent camouflage against dusty soil and dry vegetation, while a reddish iris and pink legs offer subtle color accents.","fun_facts":"The Scaled Dove is famous for the distinctive \"whirring\" or rattling sound its wings produce during sudden takeoffs, serving as a built-in alarm system for the flock. When a predator approaches their nest, these birds perform a dramatic \"broken wing\" display, feigning injury to lure threats away from their young. They are also among the few birds capable of drinking water continuously by sucking it up like a straw, rather than tilting their heads back to swallow. Their most iconic trait is their rhythmic, four-note call, which is so distinct that it has earned them various onomatopoeic nicknames across South America, sounding remarkably like a repetitive, mournful chant.","conservation_status_&_efforts":"The Scaled Dove is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a population trend that is considered stable or increasing. This species is highly adaptable and has benefited significantly from human-altered landscapes, often expanding its range into areas affected by deforestation, agriculture, and urbanization. Its ability to thrive in open habitats and suburban environments ensures that its numbers remain high across South America.\n\nThere are no major global threats to the Scaled Dove, though localized populations may be affected by the heavy use of pesticides in agricultural areas or occasional subsistence hunting. Due to its abundance and wide distribution, there are currently no specific conservation programs or targeted management plans in place for this species. It remains protected under general wildlife legislation within its range countries, benefiting from broader habitat preservation efforts.","endemic":false,"conservation_status":"Least Concern","ebird_link":{"url":"https:\/\/ebird.org\/species\/scadov1","title":"View on Ebird","target":"_blank"},"animal_related_page":{"url":"https:\/\/animalia.bio\/scaled-dove","title":"View on Animalia","target":"_blank"},"fauna_family":"Columbidae","fauna_known_nicknames":"Scaly Dove, South American Scaled Dove, Fogo-pagou","fauna_average_length":"18\u201322 cm \/ 7.1\u20138.7 in","fauna_average_weight":"45\u201360 g \/ 1.6\u20132.1 oz","fauna_wingspan":"26\u201330 cm \/ 10\u201312 in","fauna_key_physical_feature":"Dark-edged feathers creating a distinct scaly appearance across the body","fauna_primary_diet":"Primarily Granivore","fauna_geographical_range":"South America, including Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela","fauna_preferred_habitat":"Arid scrublands, savannas, urban parks, and agricultural fields","fauna_social_structure":"Gregarious, often seen in pairs or small flocks","fauna_breeding_site":"Flimsy platform nests made of twigs in trees or shrubs","fauna_conservation_status":"Least Concern (LC)","fauna_population_trend":"Increasing","fauna_spanish_name":"Tortolita escamosa","fauna_french_name":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna\/253153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/fauna"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"collection","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/collection?post=253153"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=253153"},{"taxonomy":"fauna-group","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna-group?post=253153"},{"taxonomy":"fauna-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fauna-type?post=253153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}