Socorro Dove - Ecology

Ecology

There is marked behavioral difference to the Mourning Dove. When Andrew Jackson Grayson discussed the species, he called it the "Solitary Dove" because he never saw more than one male and one female together. The doves, particularly the adult males, chase away their young as soon as these can fend for their own and the partners split for the time being. This too is believed to be in adaptation to the former dominance of aerial predators, lest local concentrations of birds, let alone young, unexperienced ones, would present easy targets for the hawks. Typical of many birds on mammal-less islands, Socorro Doves show little fear of humans or, fatally, cats.

The last habitat in which this dove was found is the low seasonally humid forest above 500 m ASL. Before the introduction of cats, it seasonally descended into the lowlands where it was "common" in March 1953 for example. It may be that this coincided with the peak of the breeding season, when many birds had dependent young and dispersed widely to gather more varied food. This was the case in the Socorro Mockingbird, the other mid-sized native landbird of Socorro, which apparently has very similar habitat preferences.

Its last refuge was dominated by endemic Guettarda insularis, Ilex socorroensis and Sideroxylon socorrense, as well as Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), Ficus cotinifolia fig trees and Psidium socorrense guavas, apparently all native on Socorro. At least at the time of the last record, it seemed to be dependent on intact understorey of Euphorbiaceae (spurges and relatives) and ferns, maybe because cats hunt less efficiently in these dense tangles. It is frugivorous and, as is often the case in Columbidae, might have played an important role in the reproduction of the trees which dominate its habitat. One of these (S. socorrense) is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. In particular, it was found to associate with the fig trees.

Virtually nothing is known about breeding in the wild. Parallels in altitudinal migration with the equally solitary mockingbird might be taken as indication that the breeding activity peaked around March–April. In captivity, the female generally lays two white eggs in a nestbox 1-2.5 m above ground. The incubation lasts 14–17 days. The young fledge after 14–20 days.