Photo: Dominic Sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Purplish-backed Quail-Dove
Zentrygon lawrencii
Purplish-backed Quail-Dove (Zentrygon lawrencii) — Pigeons & Doves of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Purplish-backed Quail-Dove (Zentrygon lawrencii) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 220 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Columbiformes
- Family Columbidae Pigeons, Doves
- Genus Zentrygon
- Species lawrencii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 220 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Columbidae
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Purplish-backed Quail-Dove is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Purplish-backed Quail-Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Purplish-backed Quail-Dove (Zentrygon lawrencii) is a member of the Columbidae family, within the order Columbiformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA Costa Rica and Panama.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 220 g, with a wing length of about 13.8 cm and a tail of around 7.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 7,970 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Purplish-backed Quail-Dove?
The Purplish-backed Quail-Dove is a large bird that weighs around 220 g.
Where does the Purplish-backed Quail-Dove live?
The Purplish-backed Quail-Dove is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA Costa Rica and Panama, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Purplish-backed Quail-Dove belong to?
The Purplish-backed Quail-Dove (Zentrygon lawrencii) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.
What does the Purplish-backed Quail-Dove eat?
The Purplish-backed Quail-Dove is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Purplish-backed Quail-Dove migrate?
The Purplish-backed Quail-Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Purplish-backed Quail-Dove endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Purplish-backed Quail-Dove make?
1 real field recording of the Purplish-backed Quail-Dove — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Purplish-backed Quail-Dove's range?
The Purplish-backed Quail-Dove has a mapped global range of about 7,970 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
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Least Concern
Near Threatened
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Columbidae
A field guide to the Columbidae family — 352 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.