Dominica Botanic Gardens Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies

Source: Dominica’s Birds Photo: Arthur Grosset

Description: A lowland terrestrial dove; smallest of Pigeon and Dove family in Dominica, 14-18 cm (5.5-7.0 in); generally brownish tan, with rust colored wings, black dots on wing sides and black wing tips; female is lighter colored; bill orangish with sharp black tip; head grayish with dark scaly patterns, throat pinkish tan with similar scale effect; has short pinkish feet and short black-tipped tail; wings whisper for short while when taking flight; feeds on small seeds in open scrubby ground; common in economic crops section at back of Gardens; click here to see video of a feeding bird.. References: Arlington James, Stephen Durand and Bertrand Jno.Baptiste. Dominica’s Birds. Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Dominica, 2005 Bond, James. 1993. A Field Guide to the Birds of the West Indies. 5th Edition Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Co., NY. 256 Pp Peter Alden, et al. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida. Alfred Knopf, New York, 1998.