Common Name: Bare-faced Ground Dove
Scientific Name: Metriopelia ceciliae
LEAST CONCERN Bare-faced Ground Dove Distribution: Western South America
Habitat: Arid Scrubland & Forest
Height: 16 - 17cm Weight: 66g Diet: Unknown
These small birds are brown/grey on their backs, with darker banding. Their wings appear mottled with white and buff highlights. Their breast is grey shading into pink on their bellies. The males have a pinker belly than the females. They have bare orange skin around the eyes. They inhabit the Andean slopes, Western and Northern Peru, Bolivia, Northern Chile and North West Argentina. They prefer arid habitats with some plants (ranging from scrub to woodland to forest to cactus land) and scattered rocks and sand. They are known to dust bathe, which is rare in pigeons. These doves tend to live at high altitudes, over 2000m is common. They will also live in urban areas. Little is known about the diet of these birds, but they forage on the ground in small flocks. They nest on cliffs and in holes on buildings.