Recent technological developments in video surveillance help shed light on the behavior and ecology of nesting birds. There is little information regarding breeding ecology of white-tipped doves (Leptotilaverreauxi), an elusive gamebird in southern Texas. Our objective was to describe parental attendance during the nesting season. We located nests in citrus groves and remnant woodlands. We used video camera systems to monitor parental behavior at the nest. We sampled video to establish time budgets for 13 nests, including 9 that reached the nestling stage. White-tipped doves take part in continual nest attendance, except for brief periods when the parents switch nesting duties. Female white-tipped doves attend the nest during the night and into the morning hours, when the male relieves her. The female forages throughout the day and returns in the evening, trading places with the male. White-tipped dove parental behavior was consistent with other columbid species.
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22 May 2019
PARENTAL BEHAVIOR AND ATTENDANCE PATTERNS OF NESTING WHITE-TIPPED DOVES (LEPTOTILA VERREAUXI) IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY OF TEXAS
Jared D. Hall,
Jordan C. Giese,
Heather A. Mathewson,
Thomas W. Schwertner,
Shaun L. Oldenburger,
Jeff B. Breeden
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The Southwestern Naturalist
Vol. 63 • No. 2
June 2018
Vol. 63 • No. 2
June 2018