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Ruddy Ground-Dove (Columbina talpacoti), Gilbert Water Ranch, Maricopa County
These two female Ruddy Ground-Doves was discovered by Pierre Deviche on 14 November 2008
at the Gilbert Water Ranch along the path between Ponds 1 and 2. They were
photographed by Pierre and by Brendon Grice. For a while it looked like Ruddy Ground-Doves were invading the state and
becoming a regular feature of its avifauna. However, in the last couple of
years, Ruddy Ground-Doves have become very scarce in Arizona and especially in
Maricopa County where they were regular for a while. Perhaps these
fluctuations are associated with rainfall? If so, maybe the return of wet
conditions to Arizona will result in an increase in Ruddy Ground-Dove numbers. These are Ground-Doves by their small size and short tails. The following features separate female Ruddy from female Common: lack of scaling on head or breast, entirely gray bill, dark lines on scapulars and white tips to greater coverts.
14 November 2008, photos by Pierre Deviche
4 November 2008, photos by Brendon Grice All photos are copyrighted© by the photographer
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Submitted on 14 November 2008 |
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