Habitat use by nesting Zenaida Doves Zenaida aurita in Puerto Rico: Avoidance of islands without nesting seabirds

We surveyed several offshore islands around Culebra for nesting Zenaida Doves and seabirds to determine if the doves preferred islands with nesting seabirds, and whether or not the doves selected the same types of sites on all islands. Doves nested on eight of the islands with seabirds, and did not nest on four islands that were devoid of nesting seabirds. Nest-site characteristics differed among the islands, although there were no inter-island differences with respect to nest size, slope at the nest, and percent of the nest visible from above and from 1 m. Thus slope and nest visibility seem to be significant habitat cues for nesting Zenaida Doves.