Survival and longevity of a White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi) population in south Texas

ABSTRACT The White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi) is an understudied, secretive, game species in south Texas. We banded White-tipped Doves over a 2-year period in Estero Llano Grande State Park (ELGSP) near Weslaco, Texas. We used recent banding information to estimate the first annual survival and recovery rate information for this species in the United States. We collected morphological measurements of captured individuals in June and July 2015 and 2016. We documented a new longevity record for the species in 2016. The individual was a minimum of 9 years and 1 month at encounter as it was first banded in ELGSP in 2008 as an after-hatch-year individual. Our morphological measurements were within the range reported in previous studies. Preliminary annual survival estimates indicate higher annual survival than other Columbidae and low recovery rates.