General

Key West Quail-Dove: Medium-sized dove with red-brown upperparts, gray-red nape and crown, white throat and streak below eye, and buff-gray underparts. Upperparts of male are iridescent purple and green, female is duller. Juvenile is browner.

Range and Habitat

Key West Quail-Dove: This bird has a very limited range. They occur very rarely in southern Florida, but their primary range extends from the Florida Keys and into the West Indies and east as far as Puerto Rico. This bird's preferred habitats include semi-arid and humid woodlands, scrub, and forests.

Breeding and Nesting

Key West Quail-Dove: One or two creamy buff eggs are laid in a nest made of leaves and sticks, and built on the ground or in a low tree or shrub. Incubation ranges from 11 to 12 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Key West Quail-Dove: Eats a variety of seeds, fallen berries, fruits, insects, and small snails; forages on the ground, usually beneath the cover of bushes or trees.

Vocalization

Key West Quail-Dove: Call is a groan-like sound, loud "whoe-whoe-oh-oh-oh", or mournful "oooooooooou", repeated a number of times.

Similar Species

Key West Quail-Dove: Ruddy Quail-Dove is smaller, has rich rufous or brown upperparts without iridescence, cinnamon-brown underparts, buff line beneath eye, and shorter tail.