Caribbean Dove
CR

Caribbean Dove

Leptotila jamaicensis

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_dove

Overview

The Caribbean dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Belize, the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Honduras, Jamaica, and Mexico. It has been introduced to the Bahamas.

The Caribbean Dove faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive habitat loss from deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urban development across its limited range in Jamaica. Introduced predators, particularly cats and rats, pose additional threats to nesting birds and their eggs. The species' small population size and restricted distribution make it extremely vulnerable to environmental changes and human disturbances.

Threat summary

Habitat

The subspecies of the Caribbean dove are found thus:

* L. j. collaris - Cayman Islands * L. j. gaumeri - Mexico's northern Yucatán Peninsula, Isla Mujeres, Isla Holbox, and Cozumel; Belize's Ambergris Caye; Barbareta, Roatán, and Little Hog islands of Honduras * L. j. jamaicensis - Jamaica; introduced to New Providence, Bahamas * L. j. neoxena - Colombia's San Andrés island off eastern Nicaragua...

TERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Columbidae

Mindoro Imperial-PigeonEN

Mindoro Imperial-Pigeon

Ducula mindorensis

Unknown
Grey Imperial-pigeonVU

Grey Imperial-pigeon

Ducula pickeringii

Unknown
Scaly-naped PigeonVU

Scaly-naped Pigeon

Patagioenas squamosa

Unknown
Tolima DoveVU

Tolima Dove

Leptotila conoveri

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Caribbean Dove classified as Critically Endangered?
Caribbean Dove is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Caribbean Dove faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive habitat loss from deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urban development across its limited range in Jamaica. Introduced predators, particularly cats and rats, pose additional threats to nesting birds and their eggs. The species' small population size and restricted distribution make it extremely vulnerable to environmental changes and human disturbances.
Where does Caribbean Dove live?
Caribbean Dove occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Caribbean Dove?
The main threats to Caribbean Dove are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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