The Caribbean dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Belize, the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Honduras, Jamaica, and Mexico. It has been introduced to the Bahamas.
Region
Greater Caribbean and Mesoamerican coasts
Typical Environment
Native to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, and present on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and offshore islands, Belize, the Bay Islands of Honduras, and Colombia’s oceanic islands of San Andrés and Providencia. It favors dry to semi-humid woodland, scrub, and edges of second-growth forest, as well as coastal thickets and mangrove margins. It adapts to altered habitats including plantations and overgrown pastures provided dense cover is available. The species has been introduced to parts of the Bahamas.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The Caribbean dove is a ground-foraging pigeon that keeps to dense thickets and forest edges, often flushing with a sudden whirr of wings. Its soft, mournful coo carries far at dawn and dusk, even when the bird remains hidden. It typically nests low and, like most doves, lays two eggs. It has been introduced to parts of the Bahamas but is otherwise native to the wider Caribbean region and nearby Mesoamerican coasts.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with explosive takeoff; low, direct flights through cover
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes in loose small groups at feeding sites. Nests low in shrubs or small trees in a flimsy platform, typically laying two white eggs. Pairs maintain small territories and keep to dense vegetation for cover.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A low, mournful series of coos, often given as spaced, booming notes that carry through woodland. Males call most at dawn and dusk, with phrases that rise slightly in the middle and fade at the end.
