Abstract
Breakthrough in Recovery of Puerto Rican plain pigeon April 22, 1988 marked a day of quiet celebration on the Humacao Campus of the University of Puerto Rico. A Puerto Rican plain dove (Colomba inornata wetmorei) squab, later christened "Gulliver;' hatched from an egg incubated by a four-year-old pair of these rare pigeons. Although other plain pigeon squabs have been hatched and foster-raised by domestic ringed dove (Streptopelia risoria) surrogates or hand raised by aviary staff, Gulliver is the first Puerto Rican plain pigeon in the captive propagation program to be incubated and subsequently raised by his own parents. Although little has been reported about the historical range and abundance of the Puerto Rican plain pigeon, its status declined as birds were shot and habitat was extensively altered. The species was listed by the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1970 as endangered. A single wild population exists in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico between the municipalities of Cidra and Cayey. Its numbers have been reduced to fewer than 150 birds according to the latest census (April 1988). A captive breeding program was started in 1983 under a cooperative agreement among the University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico's Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A total of 47 squabs have been captive bred to date
(September 1988), showing phenomenal success in the first four years of...