The Chiriqui quail-dove or rufous-breasted quail-dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
Region
Talamanca Mountains
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane and premontane forests of Costa Rica and western Panama, especially along the Talamanca and Chiriquí highlands. Prefers mature forest with dense understory, but may use older secondary growth and forest edges. Often found along shaded ravines, bamboo thickets, and near quiet streams. It is typically scarce to locally fairly common where suitable habitat persists.
Altitude Range
800–2400 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy ground-dwelling dove of humid highland forests, it is more often heard than seen, giving soft, mournful hoots from dense understory. It forages quietly along shaded trails and stream edges, often alone or in pairs. As a consumer of fallen fruits, it likely contributes to seed dispersal in montane forests.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, direct bursts from the ground
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, walking quietly on the forest floor. Forms monogamous pairs during breeding, with simple platform nests placed low in dense vegetation. Displays limited territoriality, relying on dense cover for security rather than aggressive defense.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a low, mournful single hoot or a series of soft, spaced coos that carry through the understory. Vocalizations are most frequent at dawn and dusk and can be the best clue to its presence.
Plumage
Compact, round-winged quail-dove with rich rufous breast, brown to olive-brown upperparts, and contrasting grayish belly. Subtle iridescence on the nape and mantle may be visible in good light. Face is grayish with fine pale markings and a neat, clean look typical of quail-doves.
Diet
Feeds on fallen small fruits and berries, various seeds, and supplements its diet with invertebrates such as insects and small snails. Forages methodically by walking and picking items from the leaf litter. May swallow grit to aid in grinding seeds and other tough plant material.
Preferred Environment
Primarily on the shaded forest floor, along trails, stream edges, and in dense thickets where cover is close at hand. Occasionally ventures to forest edges and older secondary growth when fruit is abundant.
