Ruddy Ground-Dove (Columbina talpacoti) Science Article 1
abstract
The reproductive ecology of the Ruddy Ground-Dove (Columbina talpacoti)was studied between January 1982 and February 1983 in the Cerrado of the Central Plateauof Brazil. A total of 2 18 nests were found in 19 plant species, at heights ranging from groundlevel to 7.5 m. Nest construction was observed in all months except October. Some pairsreared a second clutch in the same nest in the same year. There was no significant differencebetween the sexes in nest defense behavior. The median clutch size of 200 nests was two.Fledglings remained with their parents for 25 days. One reached sexual maturity three monthsafter hatching. The average daily mortality rate of eggs based on the Mayfield ( 196 1, 1975)method was lowest (2.8%) in April-May and highest (8%) in November-December. Themean rate of daily egg mortality rate in all nests over the year was 4.4%. The total dailymortality rate of nestlings was (3.8%) ranging from (1 .O%) in August-September to (5%) inFebruary-March. There was a significant difference in the rate of predation on eggs and onnestlings. The highest rate of predation occurred during the peak of fledgling production.The probability of a nestling remaining in the nest until fledging was 63.3% and the probabilityof the nestling surviving from laying to fledging was 36.7%. At the end of incubation,there was an average of 1.2 eggs per nest and a mean of 0.7 nestlings per nest fledged.
RENATO CINTRA, Wilson Bull., 100(3), 1988, pp. 443-457