The Grenada dove is a medium-sized New World tropical dove. It is endemic to the island of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. Originally known as the pea dove or Well's dove, it is the national bird of Grenada. It is considered to be one of the most critically endangered doves in the world.
Region
Lesser Antilles
Typical Environment
Strictly confined to Grenada, the species occupies dry coastal and lowland deciduous woodland, thorn-scrub, and secondary growth with dense understory. It favors areas with deep leaf litter for ground foraging and nearby thickets for cover. Forest edges, dry gullies, and coastal scrub are often used, while humid montane rainforest is generally avoided. Nests are placed low in shrubs or small trees within dense cover.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 300 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Grenada’s national bird, this shy ground-dwelling dove survives only in a few fragments of dry forest on the island. It is one of the most critically endangered doves in the world, threatened by habitat loss, development, and hurricanes. Conservation focuses on protecting dry coastal woodland at Mount Hartman and nearby areas and controlling invasive predators.
Grenada dove. Concord River Watershed. Black Bay Delta, Grenada W.I. 2004
Perseverance Landfill Fire Grenada, W.I. 2005
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with explosive flush; low, direct flight
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, maintaining territories in dense dry woodland. Pairs build a flimsy platform nest low in shrubs or small trees and typically lay two white eggs. Both sexes share incubation and chick rearing.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft, mournful series of coos, often rendered as a low whooo-oo-ooo, repeated at measured intervals. Calls are most frequent at dawn and dusk and can carry surprisingly far in still conditions.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts with a pinkish wash on the neck and chest, buff underparts, and a whitish throat bordered by a dusky malar line. The face tends grayish, with a mostly brown tail showing narrow pale tips. Feathers are sleek and close-fitting, giving a smooth, clean appearance.
Diet
Primarily takes fallen seeds and small fruits picked from the ground, supplemented by tender plant material. It also consumes small invertebrates such as insects and snails, especially during breeding when protein needs rise. Foraging is deliberate, with birds walking through leaf litter and pausing frequently to listen and pick.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on the forest floor beneath dense scrub, along edges of dry woodland, and in overgrown clearings with abundant leaf litter. It prefers areas with immediate cover to retreat into if disturbed.
