Figure 1. According to Pinto and Camargo 1961, the local subspecies is Z. a. chrysauchenia. The authors do not describe the range of this race, but Pinto 1938 gives the distribution of Z. a. virgata (synonym): Paraguay, and central and east Brazil.

Hellmayr and Conover 1942, p. 488, and Sick 1997, recognize a particular local form, namely Z. a. noronha, distributed in the northeastern states, and the island of Fernando Noronha.

Sick 1997 describes the persecution of these birds in the Northeast. In the following, a brief passage from his book (translation by me): "... In Ceará, a 'weak' pombal (place where these doves drink or breed. HR.), exploited in 1959, did yield about 100.000 pieces in one week and about 300.000 in 21 days, which was the total time of exploitation... The birds will be salted and dried... and a 6-ton truck can carry 100.000 of them..." (p. 347).

Figure 2. These Eared Doves came to pick up corn scattered in front of my hide.