Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2003-09
| Common name: |
Ruddy Ground Dove |
| Scientific name: | Columbina talpacoti |
| Date: | Nov 2, 1991 |
| Time: | 4:00 - 5:00 PM |
| Length of time observed: | 4-5 minutes; three times with hr |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | Adult (basic adult plumage) |
| Sex: | Male |
| Location: | Lytle's Ranch, Beaver Dam Wash in Washington County, S.S. Utah. |
| County: | Washington |
| Latilong: | |
| Elevation: | |
| Distance to bird: | 30 - 4- feet |
| Optical equipment: | 8x20 Binocs & 20x30 spotting scope; pictures were taken using a VCR camera by Mark Hokpins on Oct 31. He called me & I traveled down to the ranch & saw it Nov. 2. |
| Weather: |
Cool (40 - 50° F) & cloudy; VCR photos on Oct. 31 - Day was clear & Sun (Prior weather and number of days since change) Previous cold & windy weather to the north. Not aware of weather changes in Arizona. |
| Light Conditions: | Cloudy & overcast |
| Detailed description of bird: |
Head, Nape & Crown - Grayish blue. Throat - Grayish-white Upperparts - Rich Brownish-pink color all across back, rump & wings. No gray color on back or wings like in Common Ground Dove. Wings - Flecked with 10 -12 blackish specks showed rich reddish-brown tones in primaries when it flew. Tail - Dark with black borders. Never did see any white, because it flew away so quickly & disappeared into the thick, nearby vegetation. Bill - Darker throughout lengh & going to a lighter color near base; not yellow though. Overall size - Blackbird size, but with shorter tail & more plump body |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | None detected |
| Behavior: | This bird fed on seeds & chicken mash on a dirt road just north of the large trailer at the ranch. It would crouch low while feeding with breast close to & on the ground. When it walked it nodded its head, when it flew it was only about ten yards into some plum bushes, but it was a rapid, direct flight. It stayed in the vegetation for a long time (sometimes hours) before venturing out to feed. |
| Habitat: | Trees, Bushes & Grass. Road. Ranch buildings (sheds, house, etc. & a long trailer house) |
| Similar
species and how were they eliminated: |
Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina) - C. passerina has scaled
appearance on head & breast, grayer plumage overall. c. talpacoti totally lacked the scaled appearance & was more rosy pink color overall. Also, I showed the video segment to Clayton White, B.Y.U. ornithologist, who came to conclusion it was c. talpacoti. Next, we checked specimens of c.talpacoti in the B.Y.U. ornithological collections. There were 3 specimens to compare with & the bird we had on tape matched these. Next, we checked the description in the A.O.U. checklist & also in a textbook called Doves & Pigeons of the World to determine Common Ground-Dove juvenile characteristics & compared with Ruddy Ground-Dove,. Conclusion: C. talpacoti |
| Previous experience with this & similar species: | None with this one. Have seen Common Ground in Ariz. & Inca Dove in Utah. |
| References consulted: | Doves & Pigeons of the World |
| Description from: | |
| Observer: | G. Merrill Webb |
| Observer's address: | 1063 East 400 North, Orem, Utah 84057 (801) 224-6113 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | |
| Other
observers who independently identified this bird: |
|
| Date prepared: | Nov. 5. 1991 (resubmitted 14 April 2003) |
| Additional material: | Video tape (video clips and photos taken from the tape) Original Documents |
| Additional comments: | Note - This is a first sighting for the state of Utah. We considered the possibility of this being an escapee from a zoo or a pet shop. But Vince Mowbray, a Los Vegas, Nev. birder, informed off a Ruddy Ground Dove north of Las Vegas & 4 - 5 in California a couple of weeks prior to this sighting. Based on this information I feel that it is more than likely a naturally-occurring bird & not an escaped one. M. Webb |