About Geotrygon mystacea (Temminck, 1811)
The mean weight of collected bridled quail-dove (Geotrygon mystacea) specimens from multiple islands ranges between 208 and 224 g (7.3 and 7.9 oz), with fairly large standard deviations. Analysis of these weights and measurements of various body parts indicates that the species has low morphometric variance across its entire distribution. Adult individuals are mostly brown in overall coloration. They have a distinct bold white stripe running across the face below the eye, and a small white patch on the throat. Males have iridescent green coloration on the head and nape, which shifts to blue and violet hues on the lower neck and upper back; females show less iridescence overall. The tail is dark brownish gray, the belly is cream-colored, and the folded wing has some cinnamon markings. The species is or was historically found from Puerto Rico, extending south and east through the Lesser Antilles as far as Saint Lucia. As of 2009, it was generally uncommon to rare across its entire range, and may have been extirpated from some of the islands it originally occupied. Only on privately owned Guana Island, part of the British Virgin Islands, is the species considered common. It inhabits forested mountain areas with a dense understory and abundant leaf litter.
