Overview
The plain-breasted ground dove may be the smallest pigeons or doves by mass, though the more heavily built but almost tailess dwarf fruit dove of Southeast Asia is typically shorter in overall length. They lack the scaled appearance to the feathers of the similar and typically more abundant common ground dove.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Bird
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Columbiana
- Species
- minuta
Habitat
Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and heavily degraded former forest.
Diet
Feeds on a variety of seeds from weeds and wild grasses.
Behavior
Gather in flocks with other doves. Spend large amounts of time on ground searching for seed. Will roost in trees for short intervals through the night and day.
Hunting
This is species is typically hunted while passing over. A hunter will strategically place themself in between feed, water, or a roost to get a shot at the bird. Sometimes decoys are used to make the bird feel more comfortable.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.