Fun Key West Quail-dove Facts For Kids

The Key West Quail-Dove (Geotrygon chrysia) is a medium-sized dove found in the Caribbean Islands of North America. The bird species gets its name from Key West Island, in the mainland Southern Florida region, where it lived and bred up till the mid-19th century.

Today its preferred habitat is the dry woodlands in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the West Indies. The Key West Quail Dove bird belongs to the Columbidae family of pigeons and doves.

It has a largely plant-based diet but is known to eat insects and snails.

This bird is one of the most eye-catching birds found in nature. Its largely rusty, red-brown, and white body is characterized by iridescent shades of purple, green, and red.

The Key West Quail Dove lives close to the ground and seldom flies in quick and low flights. The Key West Quail-Dove bird is not particularly threatened and is classified as a species of 'Least Concern' by the IUCN.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other insects including the quail or the dove here.

Key West Quail-Dove Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Key West Quail-Dove?

The Key West Quail-Dove bird is a dove.

What class of animal does a Key West Quail-Dove belong to?

The Key West Quail-Dove bird species belong to the bird (Aves) class of animals.

How many Key West Quail-Doves are there in the world?

The total Key West Quail-Dove (Geotrygon chrysia) population has not been evaluated, but it occurs frequently within its geographic range.

Where does a Key West Quail-Dove live?

The Key West Quail-Dove (Geotrygon chrysia) species lives in humid and semi-arid woodlands, forests, and scrublands.

What is a Key West Quail-Dove's habitat?

The Key West Quail-Dove is a bird species that prefer drier habitats. It lives in shrublands, tropical as well as sub-tropical forests, and places with dense vegetation. It is often found in leaf litter foraging for food. It also prefers to build its nest in the ground or on a shrub.

Who do Key West Quail-Doves live with?

A Key West Quail-Dove may live alone or in pairs.

How long does a Key West Quail-Dove live?

Key West Quail-Dove birds may live to be five years old on average.

How do they reproduce?

Key West Quail-Dove are birds that reproduce by mating and laying eggs. The nest is made of leaves and sticks amongst dense vegetation, and the eggs are incubated by both parents. The incubation goes on for 11-12 days.

What is their conservation status?

The Conservation Status of the Key West Quail-Dove birds under the International Union for Conservation of Nature is 'Least Concern'.

Key West Quail-Dove Fun Facts

What do Key West Quail-Doves look like?

The Key West Quail-Dove is a very gorgeous bird species. It is 10.3-12.2 in (27-31 cm) long and it has a wingspan of 15-17 in (38-43 cm).

Its underparts are white and they have a gray wash. Its upper parts are a beautiful rusty color, with glosses of iridescence, in purple and green. The upper and under tails are both red-brown and the legs are pink.

The wings of the Key West Quail Dove have rounded feathers and are also rusty-colored. The crown, forehead, nape, and throat of the Key West Quail-Dove are all red-brown with a distinctive green, purple, and amethyst gloss.

The mantle has a coppery and pink-rose iridescence that becomes purple going up to the nape. The Key West Quail-Dove also has a white stripe on its face, and its eyes are orange to brown-orange.

How cute are they?

Key West Quail-Dove is one of the most beautiful species of birds that live in nature. Its medium-sized body is adorned with the most gorgeous colors and plenty of iridescence. It is very pleasing to the eye and its repetitive melancholic songs are easy on the ear as well.

How do they communicate?

Key West Quail-Dove birds communicate via melancholic, groan-like, long songs. These songs are repetitive and sound like a simple 'coo', or loud 'whoe-whoe-oh-oh-oh', or a sad 'oooooooooou'.

How big is a Key West Quail-Dove?

Key West Quail-Dove is 10.3-12.2 in (27-31 cm) long with a wingspan of 15-17 in (38-43 cm), which makes them four times bigger than the Bee Hummingbird.

How fast can a Key West Quail-Dove fly?

The exact speed of a Key West Quail Dove's flight is not known, but it may be in the range of 20-45 mph (30-55 kph). It is known to run on the ground when disturbed, and when it does fly, it is a low and direct flight, with the rapid beating of wings, often between islands.

How much does a Key West Quail-Dove weigh?

A Key West Quail-Dove weighs around 4-7.5 oz (109–212 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Much like other birds and doves, the females and males of the Key West Quail-Dove species are called hens and cocks respectively.

What would you call a baby Key West Quail-Dove?

A baby Key West Quail-Dove may be called a squab or a squeaker.

What do they eat?

The Key West Quail-Dove birds eat poisonwood fruit, seeds, other fallen fruits, and berries. They are also known to include insects and snails in their diet.

Are they dangerous?

No, the Key West Quail-Dove birds are not dangerous.

Would they make a good pet?

Key West Quail-Doves are not for being kept as pets, but since they belong to the dove family, they may make good pets. However, they are frequent foragers and solitary creatures, so they may not do well in captivity.

Did you know...

After the first half of the 19th century, the Key West Qualied-Dove was only a vagrant in the mainland of Southern Florida regions.

Are there Key West Quail-Doves in Key West?

The Key West Quail-Dove birds are rarely found in the Key West Island of the Florida Keys nowadays. They had been originally named after this city, which was their preferred habitat and where they bred until the former half of the 19th century.

Today, they are found largely in the Caribbean Islands, mainly in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the West Indies.

The Columbidae family to which the Key West Quail-Dove belongs is the sole family in the Columbiformes order. Also, the Columbidae family consists of a total of 344 species of doves and pigeons.

Male vs. female Key West Quail-Dove

The males and females of the Key West Quail-Dove species look very similar with subtle differences. The females are on average slightly smaller than the males. The female's upper parts are duller than the male's. The iridescence on the female's neck, crown, and back is less noticeable than a male's.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including Inca dove facts or diamond dove facts.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Realistic Dove coloring pages.