Key West Quail-Dove

The Key West Quail-Dove is native to the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles, inhabiting dry forest and woodland floor, with rare vagrant records in the Florida Keys that give the species its common name. It shows striking iridescent bronze-green upperparts, a rich rufous or cinnamon wash on the underparts, and a bold white stripe below the eye that stands out clearly against the darker face.

• Upperpart feathers: strongly iridescent bronze-green to purplish, catching the light distinctly compared to duller quail-doves
• Facial stripe feathers: bold, clean white stripe below the eye, more prominent than in the Ruddy Quail-Dove
• Underpart feathers: warm rufous to cinnamon, providing contrast with the iridescent back
• Tail feathers: short and rounded, typical of ground-dwelling quail-doves
• Compare with the Ruddy Quail-Dove, which shows a less bold, more buffy facial stripe and less pronounced iridescence on the upperparts

Sexes are broadly similar, though females may show marginally less vivid iridescence than males. Juveniles are duller overall with reduced iridescence and a less distinct facial stripe, developing full adult coloring after their first molt. Adults molt completely once per year.

This species is resident in the Bahamas and Greater Antilles, favoring dry forest floor and woodland understory. It is a rare vagrant to the Florida Keys and southern Florida, where individual birds are occasionally recorded well outside the normal range.

Key West Quail-Doves forage on the forest floor for seeds and small fruit, walking quietly through leaf litter. Their voice is a low, soft cooing. Nests are simple platforms of twigs placed low in vegetation. Like other quail-doves, this species is often secretive and more readily detected by call than by direct observation.