Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species is undergoing moderate declines, which are mainly driven by predation by invasive species. It it consequently listed as Near Threatened.
Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified. This species was described as 'fairly common' (Stotz et al. 1996), however recently observed numbers on Floreana are very low, and the population may already be locally extirpated from this island (Dvorak et al. 2017). It is also rare on San Cristobal and Santa Cruz (Fessl et al. 2017).
Trend justification
The species appears to be undergoing a decline (Fessl et al. 2017, Jiménez-Uzcátegui et al. 2018). Particularly on the inhabited islands Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal and Floreana, the species is now very rare and patchily distributed (Fessl et al. 2017, J. Freile in litt. 2018, Dvorak et al. 2019). Trends on uninhabited islands are less clear, but it is feared that on some islands the species may be experiencing declines as well (Fessl et al. 2017, J. Freile in litt. 2018). The rate of decline is tentatively placed in the band 20-29% over the past three generations (13.2 years; per J. Freile in litt. 2018), and it is thought that declines are continuing at the same rate into the future.
This taxon is endemic to the Galápagos islands, Ecuador, where two subspecies are recognised. The race exsul is known from Culpepper and Wenman, while the nominate galapagoensis occurs on all the other major islands. It is rare on some islands but common on others, appearing to be fairly secure away from settled areas and on islands free of predators.
The species inhabits dry rocky lowlands with scattered trees, bushes and Opuntia cacti (Baptista et al. 2020). It feeds mainly on seeds, but during the wet season it also feeds on caterpillars and cacti blossoms. Active nests usually containing two eggs have been found during most months, and the breeding season may vary between islands; the nest may be on the ground, in rock cavities, or in old nests of Galápagos Mockingbird Mimus parvulus.
Most likely, the main driver of the decline is predation by introduced feral cats (J. Freile in litt. 2018). In the past, its confiding nature made it an easy target for hunters with records of 60-70 being killed in a single morning; however the species is now much less tame, and hunting pressure has decreased considerably (del Hoyo et al. 1997). Moreover, cases of nestling parasitism by Philornis downsi have been recorded (Coloma et al. 2020).
Conservation Actions Underway
The species occurs within the Galápagos National Park.
Conservation Actions Proposed
Monitor the population trend. Control and remove invasive predators.
Text account compilers
Hermes, C., Elliott, N.
Contributors
Butchart, S., Ekstrom, J., Freile, J. & Harding, M.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Galapagos Dove Zenaida galapagoensis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/galapagos-dove-zenaida-galapagoensis on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.