White-tipped Dove

Sightings
White-tipped Dove is a common species on both Trinidad and Tobago which belies the fact that we only saw this species on four or five occasions. This sighting was made very early in the morning at our hotel when I heard the bird calling.

Species
White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi inhabits scrub, woodland and forest. It is usually seen singly or in pairs. Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and clattering of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. There are thirteen subspecies of which L. v. verreauxi is found on Trinidad as well as parts of central America and the Netherland Antilles and L. v. tobagensis is only found on Tobago. The Tobago subspecies is more approachable than that found on Trinidad. The orbital eye ring is red in most of its range although it is torquoise-blue on both Trinidad and Tobago.

Status and Distribution
It is a species of least concern with an increasing population in its large range of twenty six million square kilometres. The dove is a resident breeder from southernmost Texas in the United States through Mexico and Central America south to western Peru and central Argentina. It also breeds on the offshore islands of northern South America.

References
BirdLife; Wikipedia; World Bird Names; Kenefick, M., Restall, R., and Hayes, F. (2015) Birds of Trinidad and Tobago, Bloomsbury Publishing, page 140

Photograph
Photographed in dull early morning light at 1/200th of a second, f5.6 and ISO 800.