One of the most mysterious and rediscovered gems of South American birdlife — a small, chestnut-colored dove with piercing sky-blue eyes and delicate white wing spots. For more than 75 years, it was known only from a few museum specimens collected in the 1800s, and many ornithologists feared it had vanished forever. Then, in 2015, the species was dramatically rediscovered in the Cerrado savanna of southeastern Brazil, proving that one of the world’s “lost birds” had been hiding in plain sight. Its appearance — warm cinnamon plumage, a neat pale face, and those unforgettable azure eyes — gives it a gentle but unforgettable presence, a flash of rare beauty in grassy shrublands and scrubby savanna edges.

The blue-eyed ground dove lives in open grassy fields with scattered shrubs and wetlands, a habitat type rapidly disappearing across Brazil. It is a ground-foraging species, walking softly through grass tufts searching for seeds, small insects, and plant matter. Its flight is quick and low, often just enough to hop between patches of cover. Little is known about its breeding behavior, but related ground doves build small twig nests close to the ground, and researchers believe this species likely follows a similar pattern. The dove’s soft cooing call blends easily into its quiet savanna environment, making its presence even more elusive.

This dove is now considered critically endangered, with an estimated population of fewer than 250 individuals — possibly far fewer. Its survival depends almost entirely on the protection of the Cerrado biome, one of the most threatened ecosystems on Earth, where agricultural expansion, invasive grasses, and fire frequency have drastically altered natural habitats. The rediscovery of the blue-eyed ground dove sparked a major conservation effort led by Brazilian researchers, NGOs, and local communities, resulting in the creation of a protected reserve in Minas Gerais specifically to safeguard its last known habitat.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Brazil

110 – 260

Official estimate

CR

2019