The Blue-eyed Ground Dove had not been sighted since 1941, until its rediscovery in 2016 when about a dozen birds were found. Unfortunately, these birds lived on private property, and the person who owned the property planned on mining for iron ore there, therefore disrupting the birds and their habitat. In January 2018, SAVE Brazil managed to but the land and turn it into Blue-Eyed Ground-Dove nature reserve. This month, the government of Minas Gerais (the state the doves are living in) added more protected land around it to create Botumirim State Park. It is estimated there are about 15-20 Blue-Eyed Ground Doves currently living in Botumirim State Park. Back from the Dead? The Story of the Blue-eyed Ground-Dove.