The olive-backed quail-dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Region
Central America and the Chocó–Darién region
Typical Environment
Occurs from southern Nicaragua through Costa Rica and Panama to western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. It occupies humid lowland and foothill evergreen forests, especially areas with dense understory and deep leaf litter. Birds are most often encountered along shaded ravines, near streams, and in thickets where cover is abundant. It tolerates some secondary growth and forest edges but is most numerous in intact forest. Local presence can be patchy where hunting or forest disturbance is high.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy, ground-dwelling quail-dove of dense tropical forest, it often goes undetected as it walks quietly through leaf litter. It was long placed in Geotrygon but is now the sole member of the genus Leptotrygon. Its name veraguensis refers to Veraguas Province in Panama, where early specimens were collected.
An olive-backed quail-dove in the wild
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
bursting low flight with short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, keeping to dense understory and the forest floor. Nests are placed low in shrubs or small trees and occasionally on the ground, with a clutch typically of one to two eggs. Courtship involves soft coos and bowing displays at close range under cover.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A low, mournful series of single hoots or coos delivered at intervals, often at dawn or dusk. Calls are deep and ventriloquial, carrying through dense vegetation but easily overlooked amid forest sounds.
Plumage
Olive-brown to olive-backed upperparts with a subtle bronzy or purplish sheen on the nape and mantle; grayish face and crown. The throat is clean white, bordered by a sharp black malar line; underparts are warm buff to rufous with paler belly. Tail and wings are darker with subdued patterning suited for camouflage on the forest floor.
Diet
Feeds on fallen fruits and berries, small seeds, and a variety of invertebrates such as insects and small snails. Forages methodically by walking and picking items from the leaf litter, occasionally scratching gently to uncover food. It may swallow small pebbles (grit) to aid digestion. Seasonal availability of fruits can influence diet composition.
Preferred Environment
Primarily the shaded forest floor of humid evergreen forest, especially along stream corridors and in dense thickets. Also uses edges and selectively logged areas where leaf litter and cover remain intact.
