The orange-brown eye is surrounded by bare skin, a narrow blue ring and a wider outer area of reddish brown.

[4] The bare-eyed pigeon is found on the Caribbean coasts of Colombia and Venezuela and the near-shore islands of Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Margarita, and Blanquilla.

It primarily inhabits an arid landscape of thorn scrub, cactus, and acacia and is also found in mangroves and cultivated areas.

It can be found as high as 400 m (1,300 ft) above sea level on the mainland but is generally much lower.

[5] The bare-eyed pigeon does most of its foraging in trees and shrubs but also feeds on the ground.