The shy, stunning Purple Quail-Dove belongs to a larger family that includes familiar species such as the widespread Mourning Dove and Rock Pigeon. It was once considered a subspecies of the Sapphire Quail-Dove, a close relative found in southern Colombia, eastern Ecuador and Peru, and western Brazil. The Purple Quail-Dove was split into a separate species in 2010 based on differences in its plumage and song. 

The Purple Quail-Dove is richly colored in jewel-toned shades that blend effectively into the dark forest interior. Adults have an eponymous purple back shading into purplish-chestnut wings, set off by a shining patch of golden, purple, and bluish-green on the sides of the neck. Swaths of dark blue mark this bird's crown, nape, lower back, and rump, and its white face and throat are bisected by a dark blue malar stripe. The upper chest is bluish-gray, and the belly is white. Females are a bit duller than males, and juveniles are even more so, lacking a distinct facial pattern and iridescent neck patches.

This bird's genus name, Geotrygon, is derived from the Greek words for “earth” and  “dove,” and refers to its ground-dwelling habits. Its species name, purpurata, means “purple-clad.” This “purple earth dove” has a highly restricted range in one of the wettest, most biodiverse regions of the Americas.

The Purple Quail-Dove inhabits the dripping-wet rainforests of the Chocó region, which runs down the Pacific coast of South America from Panama to northwestern Ecuador. This region hosts an astounding diversity of plants and animals, including over 900 species of birds, many found nowhere else in the world. The Purple Quail-Dove is one of these endemic birds, along with dozens of others, including the Baudo Guan, Scarlet-breasted Dacnis, and Glistening-green Tanager.

The call of the Purple Quail-Dove is a series of double-noted, low-pitched, rather hollow-sounding coos. This first note may be so soft that it is almost inaudible.

Like its near relatives, the Purple Quail-Dove is highly terrestrial, spending most of its time on or near the ground. Information about the species is scant, but circumstantial evidence suggests that, in Ecuador, it breeds in June. 

The Purple Quail-Dove is probably socially monogamous, like other quail-dove species. It is normally a solitary species, but sometimes seen in pairs.  

Although little is known about the nest of the Purple Quail-Dove, it likely builds a platform nest of sticks and twigs close to the ground, similar to the nests of other birds in its genus. 

Like other quail-doves, the female Purple Quail-Dove probably lays a clutch of one to two white or buff-colored eggs. A mated pair likely takes turns incubating the clutch and bringing food to the young after hatching. Young quail-doves probably leave the nest after about two weeks. 

The Purple Quail-Dove forages on the ground for seeds and small invertebrates, probing through leaf litter and undergrowth. It is usually observed foraging alone or in pairs. Foods taken include beetles, seeds, and small fruits.

The Purple Quail-Dove is only found in the extremely wet lowland tropical forests of the Chocó region, frequenting the underbrush and ground strata of these forests. 

The Chocó has a higher density of endemic bird species than anywhere else in the Americas. The Purple Quail-Dove is one of more than 60 species endemic to this region.

The Purple Quail-Dove is classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to its restricted range and small population.

Rainforest habitat throughout the Chocó is being lost to agriculture (particularly oil palm plantations), cattle grazing, mining, and other human-driven deforestation.

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This species is also hunted for food, adding pressure to its declining population.

A changing climate presents a suite of often unpredictable threats to birds: extreme weather events, droughts, habitat loss due to rising sea levels, and intense heat are just a few ways climate change puts birds at risk. 

ABC-supported reserves have provided habitat for this species, including a recently expanded protected area, the Atuncela Integrated Management Regional District, in Colombia, as well as Ecuador's Rio Canandé and Mashpi Amagusa Reserves.

ABC also supports ecotourism and reforestation at Canande to restore habitat and enhance sustainability.

Many of the rarest bird species in the Western Hemisphere remain relatively unknown. You can learn more about these birds and the threats they face by signing up for ABC's Bird of the Week email series, which frequently highlights these fascinating birds.

American Bird Conservancy and our partners throughout Latin America and the Caribbean have created and expanded more than 100 bird reserves, which protect upward of 1.1 million acres of vital habitat. Together, we've planted more than 6.8 million trees, helping to restore degraded and damaged habitat. You can help us continue to protect endangered birds by making a gift today.