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Luzon Bleeding-Heart Dove (Gallicolumba luzonica)

Family: Pigeon and Dove Family (Columbidae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Near Threatened

Found only on the island of Luzon (the largest island in the Philippines Archipelago) the Luzon Bleeding-Heart Dove is one of several species of “bleeding-heart doves”, so named for the unusual bright-red patches on their chests which bare an uncanny resemblance to a bloody wound (complete with paler red markings surrounding the vivid red center, making the feathers appear blood-stained.) These bright red markings are present in both females and males, and while their exact purpose is the subject of extensive debate it is generally assumed that they are related to sexual selection; males typically have larger, redder “wounds” than females, and during courtship they produce loud, hooting calls, puff out their chests and “bare their hearts” to potential mates, with females seemingly preferring males with louder calls, bigger chests and redder markings. Rarely encountered in the wild due to their extreme timidity and near-total silence outside of courtship, Luzon Bleeding-Heart Doves inhabit lowland forests and are unusual among pigeons in that they are largely terrestrial, foraging for fruits, seeds, insects and worms on the forest floor during the day and taking flight only at night to reach safe roosting sites in the branches of trees - even when threatened by potential predators (such as monitor lizards and birds-of-prey) they are more likely to flee into dense vegetation than to fly away, despite being fully capable of doing so. After forming a bond members of this species typically remain together for life, foraging and roosting in pairs and working together to defend their nest and raise their young; Luzon Bleeding-Heart Doves are believed to nest in trees towards the end of Luzon’s dry season (during the early-to-mid may), with females laying 1-2 pale white eggs which both parents incubate (with males typically sitting on their nest during the day and females sitting on it overnight.) Young Luzon Bleeding-Heart Doves hatch after around 16 days of incubation, fledge when around 2-3 months old and are mature enough to find partners of their own after roughly 18 months.

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Image Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3168-Gallicolumba-luzonica

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Here’s a Valentine from Nature. No matter what your human love life may be like, the Earth is always in love with you!

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