City doves

The doves and pigeons are a worldwide group of well-known and familiar birds that occupy many niches, from forest interiors to deserts, and from ground-dwellers birds to canopy specialists. Certainly, they are not limited to "natural" habitats. Many species are so well adapted to our urban environment that many big cities in the world host at least one species, sometimes with an incredible population, since they are described as "abundant" in some places. When I visited Taipei (capital of Taiwan, maaaany years ago), the dominant species were both the Spotted and Red Collared-Doves. Both remained me the Eurasian Collared-Doves that were very common at the Miami International Airport, where it is an introduced species of course, during my short connection in my way to Toronto, Canada, where the common species was the Rock Pigeon, but with Mourning Doves common as well. The Mourning Doves are THE doves in most of North America. They reach Panamá, where they are common urban birds in the western highlands, specially in and around the agricultural town of Cerro Punta. Curiously, they are found in the lowlands of western and central Panama too, but there they are very shy, usually found in the fields and open areas (not in towns like Penonome). Despite its commonness, it is weird that nobody have yet heard its characteristic mournful call in the lowlands. Contrary to what happens with the Mourning Doves, the melancholy calls of the White-winged Dove is now quite common to hear at least in the town of Chitre, in the Azuero Peninsula of central Panama. A close relative, the West Peruvian Dove of, you guess, western Peru is abundant in Lima. That city have others species as well, including Rock Pigeons, Croacking Ground-Doves and Eared Doves. It was not unusual to find all four species feeding close to each other in some parks in the middle of that huge city. The Eared Doves where the dominant ones in Bogota, Colombia, as I confirmed it during my first (and last) birding trip to that beautiful country. And what about Panama City? Well, like Lima, Panama City have several species, the most common being the Rock Pigeons, but with the Pale-vented Pigeons increasing in numbers. When I moved to the city, three years ago, they were common enough to find at least some individuals in the big trees of some parks nearby. Now, a flock usually gives me the good mornings while perched on the TV antenna of my apartment! Sometimes they are joined by others urban birds like Gray-breasted Martins, Tropical Kingbirds, Social Flycatchers, Blue-gray Tanagers or even a pair of Yellow-crowned Amazons to give some color. OK, it is not that these birds needs more color. As you can see in the picture of the Pale-vented Pigeon at Bocas town in Colon island (Bocas del Toro, western Caribbean slope), these birds are colourful if you have a close view. These social birds spent most of the day in the canopy of the tall fruiting trees that still remains in our city. During the afternoon is frequent to see flocks of these birds flying high to their roosting areas in the former Canal Zone (in the forest, for example in the Metropolitan Natural Park or the Camino de Cruces National Park). In the other hand, the White-tipped Dove is common in suburban areas, and in many towns outside Panama City. More or less a year ago, I photographed one in her nest at the neighborhood Las Nubes of Cerro Azul, just under the roof of a house. I posted the photo in one of the very first entries of this blog page. As I told you before, Panama City have many doves species in its streets... but by far, the cutest are the tiny Ruddy Ground-Doves. They are widespread birds, very well-known by most panamanians by names like "tortolita" or "cocochita". A pair of these ground-doves is always present at the entrance of the hospital where I work, always nervously walking picking food from the soil with its bobbing head and avoiding the cars! They are so funny to see! So, it is not great to share our homes with these birds?