The zenaida dove (Zenaida aurita) is a member of the bird family Columbidae, which includes doves and pigeons. It is the national bird of Anguilla, where it is locally referred to as "turtle dove".
The Zenaida dove is approximately 28–30 cm (11–12 in) in length. It looks very similar to the mourning dove, but is smaller in size, has a shorter, more rounded tail, and is a bit more darkly colored. It is also distinguished from the mourning dove by showing white on the trailing edge of its wings while in flight. The mourning dove does not have the white trailing edge.
It lays two white eggs on a flimsy platform, built on a tree or shrub. It also nests in rock crevices, and on grassy vegetation if no predators are present. It has been recorded that some birds have up to 4 broods per year. Eggs take approximately two weeks to hatch, and the young chicks typically fledge after only two weeks in the nest. Parents feed the young pigeon's milk, a nutrient rich substance regurgitated from its crop.
The Socorro dove or Grayson's dove (Zenaida graysoni) is a dove species which is extinct in the wild. It was endemic to Socorro Island in the Revillagigedo Islands off the west coast of Mexico. The last sighting in its natural habitat was in 1972 and it survives only in captivity. A reintroduction program is being prepared.
It is a close relative of the mourning and eared doves, particularly the former,[4] and was at one time considered a subspecies. In captivity, it hybridizes with the former and almost all privately owned birds as well as several of the captive breeding program birds are known or strongly suspected to be hybrids. These are excluded from the reintroduction program as there is evidence of unique adaptations in the Socorro species. The scientific name commemorates Zénaïde Laetitia Julie Bonaparte and the American ornithologist and artist Andrew Jackson Grayson.
The primary reason for the extirpation of the Socorro dove is predation by feral cats, but other pressures may have also contributed. In 1856, sheep were introduced, which resulted in a major alteration to the vegetation of the island, turning most areas below 500 metres (1,600 ft) into open vegetation. This may have caused some decline in their numbers, but did not pose an existential risk to the species. However, in 1957, a military base was established on the island. The evidence found by Jehl and Parkes suggested that feral cats had been introduced at the time that the military base was established, which was ultimately the cause of the species' extinction. Two expeditions, in 1978 and 1981, failed to find the species, and it was declared extinct in the wild in 1983.
The species avoided complete extinction due to the collection of several doves by an expedition in 1925. The subsequent use of these doves in aviculture resulted in about one hundred doves being available for captive breeding programs, beginning in the late 1980s. The species reproduces no less willingly in captivity than other Zenaida doves, provided its different ecological needs are addressed. As of May 2023, the captive population numbered 156 birds, all in zoos and other facilities in Europe and North America. As of early 2006, it was being prepared to remove the sheep and to rid the island of cats. In the meantime, with the maintenance of the remaining birds, stock for reintroduction is being provided.
