Question

Scientific name: Leptotila wellsi

Common name: Grenada Dove

Description of the bird:

The adult has white throat; face and forehead pale pink shading to dull brown on crown and nape; upperparts olive-brown; underwing chestnut; neck and upper breast pink-buff fading to white on lower breast, belly and under tail coverts. Female similar but much duller. Juvenile darker & duller with buff fringes to the feathers.

A thin strip of white feathers extends from the belly up around the shoulders, easily visible and undocumented in many descriptions and drawings of the dove. In-flight, cinnamon-colored feathers of the inner wing can be seen.

Population:

There is a population size of one hundred and ten (110) with a decreasing population trend.

Conservation Status:

The Grenada Dove is considered Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Globally Threatened Critically Endangered

Figure 1. Picture showing IUCN Red List status of the Grenada Dove.

Justification: This is because it has an extremely small and fragmented population that has declined owing to habitat loss and fragmentation caused by hurricanes, fire, and clearance for tourism, industry, residential housing, and roads, as well as grazing and predation by invasive species. A 2008 recovery plan aims to urgently prevent further population decline due to habitat loss and other threats, and increase the wild population through protection and restoration to allow for four self-sustaining subpopulations.

Habitat:

The Leptotila wellsi inhabits dry, coastal woodland in the southwest of Grenada, where there is a dense canopy of thorny trees and shrubs around three to six meters high, usually with the bare ground underneath. On the coast, where there is more rainfall, its habitat is slightly less dry, with some deciduous and evergreen trees.

Physical Features:

They are stout, bicolored birds with distinctive white breast and forehead, which contrasts with the olive-brown upperparts and dark wings.

Distribution (Include map):

Endemic to Grenada. Historically, it was more widespread in coastal areas and possibly offshore islands. The species has now been limited to two isolated areas of secondary dry forest, one in the southwest on and adjacent to the Mt. Hartman Estate, and a second on the west coast, around the Perseverance Dove Sanctuary and the Beausejour Estate.

Figure 2. Map showing the distribution of the Grenada Dove on the island.

Diet:

The Leptotila wellsi feeds primarily on seeds but has also been seen consuming papaya and other fruits, insects, grubs, and caterpillars. They forage exclusively on the ground.

Breeding and Mating:

Breeding is limited to the rainy season in the south-west but is more extended on the less dry west coast. In the southwest, the Grenada Dove territorial calling begins with the onset of the rains, usually around July, and extends through December/January. On the west coast, the Grenada Doves continue to call less consistently through the dry season though it is still unknown if breeding occurs through this period.

Major Threats:

The primary threat is habitat loss and fragmentation. Cutting for cultivation and grazing has been eliminated at the Mt Hartman National Park, though remaining patches of scrub forest on privately owned lands are regularly being lost to housing and other development. Threats include predation by mongoose, rats and feral cats and opossum which is locally known as the manicou. Mongoose is abundant in the Mt. Hartman region.

Conservation Actions:

• Research: Undertake research into the species’ sex ratio, range size, and habitat preferences and Study rates of survival/mortality.

• Monitoring: Monitor rates of habitat loss and degradation and Carry out regular surveys to monitor population trends.

• Species Management: Implement the revised recovery plan. Implement species management activities (supplemental food /water).

• Land/water protection: Eliminate/mitigate further habitat loss. Formally protect important habitat that falls within private lands

• Law and Policy: Develop incentives/regulations for the protection of dove habitat on private residential lots in the south-west (adjacent to Mt Hartman), and Beauséjour and Woodford on the west coast

Recommendations:

• Site/area management

• Habitat and natural process restoration

• Species recovery

• Species reintroduction

• Legislation

Can i be helped with a reflection for the above?

Answer 1

• The given abstract is about species named Leptotila weilsi , commonly called Grenada Dove on its decreasing population trend. The males were much whiter compared to the females, which appear duller. The young ones are darker and duller with buff fringesto the feathers.The easily visible feautre of the bird is a thin strip of white feathers extending from the belly around the shoulders.
• The bird is included in the Critically Endangered List by IUCN with only 110 in number.  
• Reasons For The cause:-Habitat loss and fragmentation by human activities and natural calamities. And also by predators such as Mangoose.
• 2008 Recovery plan - Aim- to reduce the habitat loss and other treats and to protect the sustaining population.
• The Leptotila weilsi is endemic to southwest Grenada, and inhbits in near dry coastal woodland regions.
• The species is now limited to dry forest near Mr. Hartman Estate and naer Perseverance Dove Sanctuary.
• It feeds on the forages found exclusively on the ground and primarily seeds.
• Breeding is limited to rainy season in south-west regions. In south, calling begins with onset of rains and in west, the calling is continued consistently throughout the dry season.
• Conservation Actions:- Regular monitoring and doing researches in different aspects relating to the species and implementing the recovery plans and also develop laws and policies supporting the conservation of the species.