About Metriopelia melanoptera (Molina, 1782)
The black-winged ground dove, scientifically named Metriopelia melanoptera (Molina, 1782), measures 21 to 23 cm (8.3 to 9.1 in) in length. Males weigh 89.1 to 114 g (3.14 to 4.02 oz), while females weigh 86 to 96.1 g (3.03 to 3.39 oz). The nominate adult male has grayish brown or earth brown upperparts with a faint pink tinge. Its throat is whitish, underparts are fawn pink, and its flanks are gray. A white edge and some pale gray are visible on the closed wing. Both eye color and the bare skin surrounding the eye are highly variable. The adult female has duller brown upperparts than the male, and its underparts have less pink. Juveniles lack the pink tinge found in adults, and many of their feathers have buff edges. The subspecies M. m. saturatior is darker and grayer on the upperparts, and less pink on the underparts, compared to the nominate subspecies. The nominate subspecies is a permanent resident ranging from central Peru and adjacent Bolivia south through most of Chile and western Argentina. It breeds on Tierra del Fuego but does not winter there. M. m. saturatior occurs in the Andes from southwestern Colombia south to Azuay Province, Ecuador. This species inhabits páramo in Colombia and Ecuador, and puna in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. It is typically found in grassy areas near treeline, and roosts in Polylepis woodland and Puya stands. Across most of its range, it occurs between 2,000 and 4,400 m (6,600 and 14,400 ft), but in Chile it can be found between 900 and 4,900 m (3,000 to 16,100 ft). It moves to lower elevations during winter.
