EARED DOVE Zenaida auriculata
The Eared Dove is one of the commonest doves in Paraguay, occupying a whole host of open habitats including urban areas. Even though they only lay two eggs at a time a single pair may breed several times in any give year and so they are able to withstand significant predator pressure. In fact the Eared Dove is one of the favoured species for sport hunters in the Chaco, especially in winter when they gather in immense flocks.
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - Adult ventral view, Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith November 2006).
FIGURE 2 - Adult lateral view, Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Hemme Batjes November 2005).
FIGURE 3 - Adult and juvenile ventral view, Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith August 2007).
FIGURE 4 - Adult in flight, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Sylvia Qu July 2008 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
FIGURE 5 - Juvenile, Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith August 2006).
FIGURE 6 - Same individual, Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith August 2006).
FIGURE 7 - Nestling of undetermined age fallen from nest, Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith August 2007).
FIGURE 8 - Upperwing of same nestling Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith August 2007).
FIGURE 9 - Adult incubating, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Alberto Esquivel October 2004 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
FIGURE 10 - Nest with eggs, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith February 2006 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
VIDEO A - Same individual as Figs 3 and 5 (Paul Smith August 2006).
VIDEO B - Adult and juvenile, Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith August 2007) The quiet, un-dove like "weeeeep" call you can hear is actually the begging call of the juvenile (see recordings below).
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Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page were taken by Paul Smith, Sylvia Qu, Hemme Batjes and Alberto Esquivel and are used with their permission.
Zenaida auriculata
1 call recorded PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith March 2007 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
2 begging call 5 days after leaving the nest recorded Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith August 2007).
Click the link to hear the call. Longer versions of this call can be downloaded from the Paraguay page of our partner website www.xeno-canto.com - the largest collection of freely downloadable Neotropical bird calls available online.