Pigeon

German Beauty Homer

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The German Beauty Homer is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding, from German racing pigeons. German Beauty Homers along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons are all descendants from the Rock Pigeon (Columba livia). The breed was first developed around one hundred years ago.

Wonga Pigeon

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The Wonga Pigeon is a pigeon that inhabits areas in eastern Australia with its range being from Central Queensland to Gippsland, eastern Victoria, Australia.

Previously they could be found as north as Cairns and as south as the Dandenongs, but due to land clearance, shootings in the 1940s for crop protection and fox predation, they are rarely seen in these areas, but their populations have improved in these areas.

The Wonga Pigeon is a large, plump pigeon that has a short neck, broad wings, and a long tail. Its length varies from 38 to 40 centimetres (15.2 to 16 inches). It has pastel blue-grey back feathers. The head fades to a creamy-white colour. The underside is white with dotted dark grey spots such that a white V can be seen on its chest. They eyes are a dark red-brown colour and they have pink eye-rings that encircle them. Legs are red and the sexes appear identical but immature pigeons are browner with a less distinct V pattern.

They are very elusive birds and are only often heard, producing explosive wing claps when disturbed. They tend to occur on the ground forraging and are located in rainforests, wet eucalypt forests, coastal forests, picnic areas, walking tracks, carparks and gardens. Their diet consists of fruit, berries, seeds from native forest trees and the odd insect.

The call of the Wonga Pigeon is a loud, high-pitched 'coo'. This is repeated over long periods of time for a number of seconds. When males are displaying mating, bowing occurs with a soft, trilling coo.

The Wonga Pigeon is monogamous and breeds between October and January. It produces a twig platform nest with a diameter of 30 centimetres. The nest is build from about 3 to 20 metres above the ground and defending by breeding pairs. The pigeon will sometimes use abandoned nests from Topknot Pigeons or Tawny Frogmouths. Two large eggs are normally laid. The eggs are up to 4 centimetres in length.

White-bellied Green-pigeon

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The White-bellied Green-pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in China, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.

Wedge-tailed Green-pigeon

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The Wedge-tailed Green-pigeon or Kokla green pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae

family.

It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

African Green-pigeon

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The African Green-pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It is often found in the savannah.

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon

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The Yellow-footed Green Pigeon also known as Yellow-legged Green Pigeon is a common species of Green Pigeon found in South Asia. The species feeds on fruits of a large variety of fruit trees including a number of species of Ficus. They forage in flocks. In the early morning they are often seen sunning on the tops of emergent trees in dense forest areas.

Grey-cheeked Green-pigeon

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The Grey-cheeked Green-pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia.

Thick-billed Green-pigeon

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The Thick-billed Green-pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family.

It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.

Pompadour Green Pigeon

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The Pompadour Green Pigeon, also known as Grey-fronted Green Pigeon, is a pigeon which is a widespread, resident breeding bird in tropical southern Asia from India, Sri Lanka east to the Philippines. In India, they are found as disjunct populations in the Western Ghats, some parts of the Eastern Ghats, Northeastern India and in the Andaman Islands. There are a number of subspecies with mostly minor size and plumage differences. The sub-species affinis of peninsular India has been raised to a full species Treron affinis by Rasmussen and Anderton (2005).

This is a common species in rainforest and similar dense wet woodlands. It builds a stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings that are characteristic of pigeons in general.

The Pompadour Green Pigeon is a stocky, medium-sized pigeon, 28 centimeters in length. The head, tail, and underparts are bright green, with a grey crown to the head. The legs are red, and the bill is thin and greyish. The flight feathers and tail are blackish.

The male has a chestnut back, usually uniform, but with a green patch in the large Andaman Islands race, and an orange patch on the breast (absent in the Sri Lankan form). The female has a bright green back and lacks the orange on the breast.

Pompadour Green Pigeons usually occur singly or in small groups. They eat the seeds and fruits of a wide variety of plants.

Pink-necked Green-pigeon

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The Pink-necked Green-pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family.

It is found in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Little Green-pigeon

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The Little Green-pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is characterized as being little and green.

Nicobar Pigeon

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Caloenas is a genus of pigeons. The only living species is the Nicobar. The Nicobar Pigeon, Caloenas nicobarica, is a pigeon found on small islands and in coastal regions from the Nicobar Islands, east through the Malay Archipelago, to the Solomons and Palau. It is the only living member of the genus Caloenas.

This is a large pigeon, measuring 40 cm in length. The head is grey, like the upper neck plumage, which turns into green and copper hackles towards the breast. The breast and remiges are dark grey. The tail is very short and pure white. The rest of its plumage is metallic green. The cere of the dark bill forms a small blackish knob; the strong legs and feet are dull red. The irides are dark.

Females are slightly smaller than males; they have a smaller bill knob, shorter hackles and browner underparts. Immature birds have a black tail and lack almost all iridescence. There is hardly any variation across the birds' wide range. Even the Palau subspecies C. n. pelewensis has merely shorter neck hackles, but is otherwise almost identical.

It is not a very vocal species, giving a low-pitched repetitive call.

One or two extinct species are known: Caloenas canacorum was a large species from New Caledonia and Tonga. It is only known by subfossil remains and was probably hunted to extinction by the early settlers. The Liverpool Pigeon, another extinct species from an unknown locality, has only a slightly similarity to the Nicobar Pigeon due to its neck feathers. It might belong in this genus too despite it is not supported by all scientists. One surviving specimen exists in the Liverpool Museum.

Seychelles Blue Pigeon

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The Seychelles Blue Pigeon (also known as Seychelles Blue Fruit Dove) is a medium-sized pigeon which inhabits woodland areas of the granitic Seychelles archipelago.

The pigeon is about 10 inches (25 cm) in length. Its head and breast are silver-grey, and these feathers can be raised when the bird is excited, giving it a ruffled look. Its wings, underbody and tail are dark blue. It has a distinctive bright crimson patch of orbital skin extending from forehead to crown. Its bill is dull yellow and it has dark grey legs.

It can be found either singly, in pairs or in small groups. Its diet consists mostly of seeds and fruit. Its nest is a flat platform made of sticks, with one or two eggs being present.

Comoro Blue-pigeon

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The Comoro Blue-pigeon a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Comoros, Mayotte, and Seychelles.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.

Papuan Mountain-pigeon

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The Papuan Mountain-pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.

New Zealand Pigeon

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he New Zealand Pigeon is a bird endemic to New Zealand. Māori call it Kererū in most of the country. New Zealand pigeons are commonly called wood pigeons but are not the same as the Wood , which is a member of a different genus.

The New Zealand Pigeon belongs to the family Columbidae, and the subfamily Treroninae, which is found throughout Southeast Asia, Malaya, Africa and New Zealand. The members of this subfamily feed largely on fruits, mainly drupes. New Zealand Pigeons are members of the pigeon genus Hemiphaga (Bonaparte, 1854), which is endemic to the New Zealand archipelago and Norfolk Island. However recently a Hemiphaga bone was found on Raoul Island. The Parea or Chatham Island Pigeon (Hemiphaga chathamensis) is traditionally considered a subspecies of the Kererū, but is here treated as a separate species.

Description

The New Zealand Pigeon is a large (550 to 850 g) arboreal fruit-pigeon found in forests from Northland to Stewart Island/Rakiura, ranging in habitats from coastal to montane. The general morphology is that of a typical pigeon, in that it has a relatively small head, a straight soft-based bill and loosely attached feathers. It also displays typical pigeon behaviour, which includes drinking by suction, a wing-threat display, hitting with the wing when threatened, a diving display flight, a ‘bowing’ display, ritualised preening and ‘billing’ during courtship. New Zealand Pigeons build flimsy, shallow, twiggy nests and feed crop milk to hatchlings.

The mainland New Zealand Pigeon grows to some 51 cm (20 inches) in length and 650 g in weight, compared to 55 cm (22 inches) and 800 g for the Chatham Island variant. The head, throat and wings are generally a shiny green-purple colour, but with a bronze tinge to the feathers. The breast is typically white and the bill red with an orange-ish tip. The feet and eyes are red. Juveniles have a similar colouration but are generally paler with dull colours for the beak, eyes and feet and a shorter tail.

The New Zealand Pigeons make occasional soft coo sounds (hence the onomatopoeic names), and their wings make a very distinctive "whooshing" sound as they fly. The bird's flight is also very distinctive. Birds will often ascend slowly before making impressively steep parabolic dives; it is thought that this behaviour is often associated with nesting, or nest failure.

Taxonomy

As generally accepted, there are three subspecies of New Zealand Pigeon; of these, only two survive: H. n. novaseelandiae of mainland New Zealand and H. n. chathamensis of the Chatham Islands. The other subspecies, Norfolk Island Pigeon (H. n. spadicea) of Norfolk Island, is now extinct. The subspecies differ in their plumage colour and physical morphology.

In 2001, it was proposed that H. n. chathamensis, the Parea, was distinct enough to be raised to full species status, H. chathamensis, instead of the traditional subspecies status, H. n. chathamensis. Few authorities outside New Zealand have followed this, with most still considering it a subspecies.

Behaviour

Diet

The New Zealand Pigeons are commonly regarded as frugivorous, primarily eating fruits from native trees. They play an important ecological role, as they are the only birds capable of eating the largest native fruits and drupes (those with smallest diameter greater than 1 cm), such as those of the taraire, and thus spreading the seeds intact. While fruit comprises the major part of their diets, the New Zealand Pigeon also browses on leaves and buds, especially nitrogen rich foliage during breeding.

One of their favourite leaves to eat is from an introduced plant, the common plum tree. The diet changes seasonally as the availability of fruit changes, and leaves can comprise the major part of the diet at certain times of the year, such as when there is little fruit around.

Breeding

Breeding generally depends on the occurrence of ripe fruit, which varies seasonally, annually (good years and bad years), and by location. New Zealand Pigeons, like other frugivorous pigeons, feed on many species with tropical affinities, including the Lauraceae and Arecaceae but live in the temperate forest of New Zealand and also feed on podocarp species, thought to be elements of Gondwana, such as miro (Prumnopitys ferruginea) and Kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides). The more tropical tree species are restricted to the warmer northern half of the North Island, and in these regions pigeons can nest all year round, except when moulting between March and May, provided enough fruit is available. Further south many tropical tree species are missing and in these areas breeding usually occurs between October (early spring) and April (late summer/early autumn), again depending on fruit availability.

New Zealand Pigeons nest in trees, laying a single egg, in a flimsy nest constructed of a few twigs thrown together. The egg is incubated for 28–29 days and the young bird takes another 30–45 days to fledge. In seasons of plentiful fruit the pigeons can successfully nest up to four times.

Distribution and conservation

The population of the New Zealand Pigeon declined considerably after the arrival of humans in New Zealand, and this trend continues, especially in the North Island, but they are still relatively common in the west of the South Island and in coastal Otago. They are commonly found in native forests (lowlands in particular), scrub, rural and city gardens and parks.

The introduced Australian common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and introduced species of rats — mainly the ship or black rat (Rattus rattus) but also the kiore or Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) and brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) — have significantly reduced the amount of fruit available for pigeons and other native birds and also prey on eggs and nestlings.

Pigeon populations are also under threat from hunting, habitat degradation and poor reproductive success. Pigeons were very numerous until about the 1860s and large flocks used to congregate in fruiting trees to feed. Restrictions on the shooting of pigeons were enacted as early as 1864, with total protection since 1921, although the enforcement against hunting was not consistent. Some Māori protested, claiming a traditional right to hunt the pigeon.

Torresian Imperial-pigeon

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The Torresian Imperial-pigeon, also known as the Nutmeg Pigeon or Torres Strait Pigeon, is a relatively large, pied species of pigeon. It is found in forest, woodland, savanna, mangrove and scrub in Australia (north-east Western Australia, north Northern Territory and north Queensland, including the Torres Strait Islands), New Guinea, Aru Islands, islands in the Geelvink Bay, D'Entrecasteaux Islands and Louisiade Archipelago. It has also been recorded as a vagrant in New South Wales, Australia. As far as known, most populations are resident or only take part in minor local movements, but the population in Queensland leaves for New Guinea in February-April and returns in July-August.

Description

The Torresian Imperial-pigeon is a large plump pigeon, 38-44 centimetres (15-17.5 inches) in length, and with a 45 cm (18 in) wingspan. It is entirely white or pale cream, apart from the black flight feathers (remiges), part of the tail (rectrices) and spots on the undertail coverts. The head can be brown, soiled by eating fruit.

Behavior

It builds an untidy stick nest in a tree, usually a coconut palm and lays a single white egg, which hatches within 26 to 28 days. The squab fledges after another three weeks. In Australia they breed between August and January in mangroves, vines, palm fronds on off-shore islands, such as the Brook Islands. In north-east Queensland, they migrate daily as flocks from the islands to the mainland rainforests to eat fruit. They return to islands upon dusk.

Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. Males that display fly steeply up, pause, tip forward and then glide downwards.

This is an arboreal dove, feeding almost exclusively on fruit. It can swallow fruits with very large seeds, the latter being regurgitated or excreted whole, depending on size, after the pulp has been removed.

Calls made by the birds are a deep "mrrrooooo", "roo-ca-hoo" and "up-ooooo".

Taxonomy

Its taxonomy is confusing and remains unsettled. It has sometimes been considered a subspecies of the Pied Imperial-pigeon. When recognized as a separate species, the number of subspecies of the Torresian Imperial-pigeon also remains unsettled. Many recognize two: The widespread D. s. spilorrhoa (nominate) and D. s. constans of the Kimberleys. However, the latter is sometimes considered a junior synonym of former. Alternatively, it has been argued that it should be considered a separate species, the Kimberley Imperial-pigeon (D. constans Bruce, 1989). Two additional taxa, subflavescens of the Bismarck Archipelago and melanura of the Moluccas, have been associated with the Torresian Imperial-pigeon. The former has a distinctive yellowish-tinged plumage and a bluish basal half of the bill, and is increasingly treated as a separate species, the Yellowish Imperial-pigeon (D. subflavescens). Most recent authorities place melanura under the Pied Imperial-pigeon, but it has black spotting to the undertail coverts and a greenish-yellow bill similar to the Torresian Imperial-pigeon. However, melanura also has a significantly broader black tail-tip than the Torresian Imperial-pigeon.

Status

The birds were once present in large colonies in Cairns, Australia but were subject to mass slaughter in the 19th Century because they were thought as pests. Populations rapidly dropped. The population is now slowly improving because of their protected status in Australia, where there are now an estimated 30,000. E. J. Banfield wrote in 1908 that in Dunk Island "fully 100,000 come and go evening and morning", with flying colonies as wide as two miles. It was described by Harold Frith in 1982, who stated these processions as "one of the great ornithological experiences of the tropics."

Nevertheless, it remains locally fairly common in parts of its range, and is therefore considered to be of least concern by BirdLife International and IUCN.

Pied Imperial-pigeon

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The Pied Imperial-pigeon a relatively large, pied species of pigeon. It is found in forest, woodland, mangrove, plantations and scrub in Southeast Asia, ranging from Myanmar and Thailand south to Java and east to the Philippines and the Bird's Head Peninsula in New Guinea. It is mainly found on small islands and in coastal regions. It remains locally common, and is therefore considered to be of least concern by BirdLife International and IUCN.

Taxonomy

Its taxonomy is confusing and remains unsettled. It has sometimes included the Torresian, Yellowish and White Imperial-pigeons as subspecies. The widespread nominate subspecies of the Pied Imperial-pigeon differs from all these by its plain white thighs and undertail coverts (though often with a dark spot at the very tip), and its narrowly dark-tipped bluish bill.

For comparison, the other species' have black-spotted undertail coverts and thighs (spotting mainly near thighs in White Imperial-pigeon), the bill of the Torresian Imperial-pigeon is greenish-yellow, and the bills of the Yellowish and White Imperial-pigeons are bluish at the base and yellowish at the tip. Furthermore, the Yellowish Imperial-pigeon has a distinctive yellowish tinge to its plumage (some Pied Imperial-pigeons may also appear yellowish, but infrequently to the same extend), and the White Imperial-pigeon has silvery-grey remiges. However, the taxon melanura of the Moluccas, which usually is considered a subspecies of the Pied Imperial-pigeon, resembles the Torresian Imperial-pigeon in bill, thighs and undertail coverts, but has a significantly broader black tail-tip. Consequently, some have suggested it should be placed under the Torresian Imperial-pigeon, while others have suggested it should be considered an entirely separate species, D. melanura (for which the name Black Imperial-pigeon has been used – an unfortunate choice, as only the tail has significantly more black than the other members of this group, and the name Black Imperial-pigeon usually has been used for D. melanochroa). Yet others have considered melanura to be invalid, instead believing it only is a morph of D. b. bicolor, as both types can be found on some islands.

Banded Imperial-pigeon

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The Banded Imperial-pigeon, more commonly known as the Zoe Imperial-pigeon, is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.

Collared Imperial-pigeon

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The Collared Imperial-pigeon, is a large (40 cm in length, 600 g in weight) pigeon with grey upperparts and largely grey-pink underparts, distinguished by a striking and diagnostic complete black collar against an otherwise white throat.

Distribution

Northern and southern New Guinea and the Aru Islands. It has been recorded from Boigu and Saibai Islands, Australian territory in northern Torres Strait.

Habitat

Lowland rainforest, swamp forest and mangroves.

Diet

Fruit from forest trees and insects. In the Port Moresby area, the main food during June/July was reported to be fruit of Tristiropsis canarioides which made up nearly half the diet. Some 30% of food volume were Ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata) fruit, the remainder being various Arecaceae (palm) fruits. Fruits eaten had a volume between 2 and 5 cm³, which would mean a diameter of about 1,5–2 cm in spherical fruit. Food is swallowed whole.(Frith et al. 1976)

Nesting

Lays single egg on flimsy platform nest in forest tree adjoining wetland.

Pinon Imperial-pigeon

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The Pinon Imperial-pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Peale's Imperial-pigeon

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The Peale's Imperial-pigeon is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae. It is endemic to Fiji, where is occurs on most of the medium and large islands.

Its natural habitats are mature tropical moist lowland forests and tropical moist montane forest. The species is one of two imperial-pigeons found in Fiji, the other, the Pacific Imperial-pigeon, is found on smaller islands.

The Peale's Imperial-pigeon is frugivorous, feeding on large fruits of the Cananga, Dysoxylum and Myristica (nutmegs). It feeds as singles or as pairs, occasionally occurring in small flocks on fruiting trees. The breeding season of this species from May to January, with a single egg being laid on an insubstantial twig nest.

Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon

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The Purple-tailed Imperial-pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Cinnamon-bellied Imperial-pigeon

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The Cinnamon-bellied Imperial-pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia.

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Green Imperial-pigeon

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The Green Imperial Pigeon is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in tropical southern Asia from India east to Indonesia. It has a number of subspecies, of which the distinctive Celebes form, Chestnut-naped Imperial Pigeon (Ducula aenea paulina) is pictured.

This is a forest species; it builds a stick nest in a tree and lays a single white egg. Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general.

Green Imperial Pigeon is a large plump pigeon, 45cm in length. Its back, wings and tail are metallic green. The head and underparts are white, apart from maroon undertail coverts. Sexes are similar.

This is an arboreal dove, feeding on plant material in the tree canopy. They are not very gregarious, but will form small flocks. The bird's call is deep and resonant, and is often the first indication of the presence of this treetop species.

White-bellied Imperial-pigeon

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The White-bellied Imperial-pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.

Pink-bellied Imperial-pigeon

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The Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon, otherwise known as the Philippine Zone-tailed Imperial Pigeon, the Zone-tailed Pigeon, or the Philippine Imperial Pigeon, is found in the Philippines. It is a fruit-eating bird.

According to the IUCN Red List and BirdLife International's Red Book, the Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon is a "near threatened" species as of 2000. This is due to the loss of habitat and exploitation by humans.

The Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon is mostly dark gray, with a pale gray head, an appropriately pink belly, and a brown, black, and gray pattern on its tail. Its eyes and eye ceres are red.

Pheasant Pigeon

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The Pheasant Pigeon is a large terrestrial pigeon found in the primary rainforests of New Guinea and nearby islands. It ranges primarily over hilly and lower mountain areas, but can also be found in lowlands.

The pheasant pigeon is an unusual pigeon of uncertain affinities within the Columbidae, and is monotypic within the genus Otidiphaps (Gould, 1870), and the sub-family Otidiphabinae. Its scientific name makes reference to its similarities to the bustard family (Otidae). Its common name reflects its adaptation to living on the forest floor in the fashion of a South East Asian pheasant, which it resembles in external morphology, particularly in its laterally compressed tail and the rounded wings. No galliform birds occur in New Guinea, and the pheasant pigeon has filled the ecological niche of a partridge or small pheasant (while the larger Goura crowned pigeons have a lifestyle similar to larger pheasants, grouse or turkeys). It is a highly secretive species, feeding on seeds and fallen fruits. It nests on the ground below trees and bushes, laying one egg that it incubates for around 4 weeks.

There are four subspecies, which differ primarily in the presence or absence of a small crest and in the colour of the nape. The two best known are the western nominate (O. n. nobilis) with a greenish nape and O. n. aruensis from the Aru Islands with a white nape. The two remaining subspecies, O. n. cervicalis from the eastern part of its range and O. n. insularis from Fergusson Island, have a grey nape and a black nape (concolour with the remaining black neck) respectively.

It is not considered threatened, although it has become locally extinct in some areas. Because it is tied to primary forests, and is unique within the pigeon family, it is considered a species that requires further investigation and monitoring.

Brush Bronzewing

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The Brush Bronzewing is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae. It is endemic to Australia.

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.

Common Bronzewing

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The Common Bronzewing is a species of medium-sized, heavily built pigeon. Native to Australia and one of the country's most common pigeons, the Common Bronzewing is able to live in almost any habitat, with the possible exception of very barren areas and dense rainforests.

Description

Males of the species have pale-yellow to yellow-white foreheads, and pink breasts. Both males and females have an easiliy discernible white line around and close to their eyes. Common Bronzewings also have patches of red, blue and green on their wings, a feature which is characteristic of all bronzewing pigeons. Young birds are usually duller in colour and browner than the mature Common Bronzewing.

Rarely found far from a source of water, Common Bronzewings either travel alone or in pairs or in flocks, and are usually cautious, making approach by humans or other animals difficult. Common Bronzewings are, on average, between 30–36 centimetres (12–14 in) in length.

Feeding

The Common Bronzewing's diet primarily consists of seeds and all varieties of vegetables. It searches for food in small groups. The search can sometimes last for days, and, since the pigeon must drink frequently, it utilizes watering holes or any other available source of water.

Breeding

Common Bronzewings construct a rough nest of twigs and sticks, which is placed low down in a tree or bush. The eggs hatch after a period of roughly 14 to 16 days, after being incubated by both the male and the female. Both parents share the responsibility of caring for the young. In common with other pigeons, Common Bronzewings release a milky substance from their crop to feed their young.

Dusky Pigeon

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The Dusky Pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.

Ruddy Pigeon

2010-02-07T03:59:00.000-08:00

The Ruddy Pigeon is a largish pigeon which breeds from Costa Rica south to western Ecuador, Bolivia and central Brazil. It belongs to a clade of small and rather plain species of Patagioenas with characteristic calls that constitute the subgenus Oenoenas. Like the other New World pigeons, it was formerly united with their Old World relatives in Columba, but today the New World genus Patagioenas is recognized as distinct again.

The Ruddy Pigeon is 28 cm (11 in) long and weighs 170 g. It is unpatterned and mainly wine-purple in colour, becoming more rufous on the back. The tail and primary flight feathers are dark brown, the bill is black, and the legs are purple-red. The iris is typically red, but can, at least in the Amazon basin, sometimes be dull yellow (however, due to the red eye-ring, the iris never appears as conspicuously white as in adults of the sympatric subspecies of the Plumbeous Pigeon, P. plumbea). The female is slightly duller and browner than the male, and the juvenile bird has a greyish brown head, neck and breast, with cinnamon or rufous scaling on the head and upperparts.

It has a loud and fairly high-pitched coo, ko'COO coo call, with considerable pauses between calls just as in its relatives. There are some geographical variations in its voice, with some populations singing four-noted songs, while others sing three-noted songs.

In Central America, the Ruddy Pigeon is replaced at lower altitudes by its close relative, the very similar Short-billed Pigeon. The two species are best separated by call, which is faster and less complex in P. subvinacea.

In Central America it is found in highland forest canopy and semi-open woodland from 1,500 m (5,000 ft) ASL to the timberline. In South America it occurs in the canopy of humid forest from near sea-level to 1,500 m (5,000 ft) ASL, occasionally higher; exceptionally, they may range up to 3,000 m ASL or more. It is not uncommon across its wide range and thus classified as a Speciers of Least Concern by the IUCN.

It is normally seen in pairs as it forages in the tree tops for fruits and berries – being particularly fond of mistletoe fruit – but may occasionally be seen on tracks and roadside seeking grit. It builds a rudimentary platform nest out of twigs 5 m high in a small tree, and lays one white egg.

Peruvian Pigeon

2010-02-07T03:58:00.000-08:00

The Peruvian Pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Ecuador and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, and plantations . It is threatened by habitat loss.

Red-billed Pigeon

2010-02-07T03:56:00.000-08:00

The Red-billed Pigeon is a relatively large pigeon which breeds from southern Texas, United States, and northwestern Mexico south to Costa Rica. It belongs to a clade of Patagioenas which generally lack iridescent display plumage, except some vestiges in the Pale-vented Pigeon.

It is found in open country with some trees, large clearings and cultivation in lowlands and middle altitudes to 2100 meters. It builds a rudimentary platform nest out of twigs in a tree about 4–25 metres (13–82 ft) above the ground, usually on a horizontal branch or on a palm crown, and lays one white egg.

The Red-billed Pigeon is 30 centimetres (12 in) long and weighs 0.23 kilograms (0.51 lb). It is mainly wine-purple, becoming browner on the back, and with a grey tail, lower belly and flight feathers. The bill is white with a red base, and the legs and eyes are red. Juvenile birds are duller than adults and the plumage is brown-tinged.

It is normally seen alone or in pairs and rarely forms flocks. It feeds on the ground, seeking acorns, berries and buds.

The Red-billed Pigeon has a loud kuk c'c'coooo call that is given in rows; the initial short kuk is characteristic for this group of Patagioenas (Mahler & Tubaro 2001).

Pale-vented Pigeon

2010-02-07T03:55:00.000-08:00

The Pale-vented is a large pigeon found in the tropical American. Formerly often placed in Columba, it actually belongs to a clade of the older New World genus Patagioenas. With its relatives it represents an evolutionary radiation extending through most of the warm-temperate to tropical Americas. Grey-hued birds, even their males generally lack iridescent display plumage, although the present species has some coppery gloss on the nape.

It is a resident breeder from southern Mexico south to Bolivia and northern Argentina and on Tobago and Trinidad, although it is very localised on the latter island. Vagrants are occasionally seen in adjacent regions; for example, the species is noted to stray into Uruguay from Argentina and occasionally from Brazil, but it has never been noted to breed or even maintain a permanent presence in the former country.

Description

The Pale-vented Pigeon is 30-32cm long and weighs normally 230-250 g. Adult males have a mainly dull purple head, breast and upperpart plumage, with copper glossing on the nape and a whitish throat. The lower back and tail are dark grey and the lower underparts are pale grey. The bill is black and the legs, iris and eyering are red. The female is similar, but duller than the male, and immatures are greyish-brown, very dull, and mainly greyish brown.

The southern subspecies P. c. andersoni has white lower underparts, rather than the pale grey of nominate P. c. cayennensis.

The call is a row of soft kuk kuk croo-ooos; the initial short kuk is characteristic for the "cayennensis group" of Patagioenas. Altogether, this species' song is intermediate between that of its close relatives the Plain (P. inornata) and Red-billed Pigeons (P. flavirostris).

It may in the field resemble a Scaled Pigeon (P. speciosa), which has a similar display flight. These two large species are also the only pigeons in their range which are often seen flying in the open away from forests. But of course P. cayennensis lacks the scaly appearance, and the calls and appearance from close by indicate that the two are not particularly close relatives among their congeners.

Ecology

The Pale-vented Pigeon is common at forest edges, riverbanks, and other partially open areas with some trees. It feeds mainly on small fruits, berries and seed. This is a fairly solitary bird, but may form small flocks at drinking areas. Its flight is high, fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general.

It also has a breeding display with a semi-circular glide down to its original perch. It builds a small twig nest in a small tree, and normally lays one white egg.

Widespread and common, it is classified a Species of Least Concern by the IUCN.

Spot-winged Pigeon

2010-02-07T03:54:00.000-08:00

The Spot-winged Pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and heavily degraded former forest.

Bare-eyed Pigeon

2010-02-07T03:53:00.000-08:00

The Bare-eyed Pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Aruba, Colombia, Netherlands Antilles, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.

Picazuro Pigeon

2010-02-07T03:51:00.000-08:00

The Picazuro Pigeon a common pigeon native to South America.

Description

Patagioenas picazuro is a brown bird with white dashes on the back of its neck and darker brown wing patterns. It is similar in appearance to the Spotted Dove.

Distribution

The Picazuro Pigeon is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 5,800,000 km² and although an accurate population count has not taken place, it is believed that the species is common and the population is thought to be increasing. Picazuro Pigeons survive in a variety of habitats; from woodland and forest to agricultural land.

Diet

This species feeds mainly on the ground and like most other pigeons eats seeds and grain.

Reproduction

Picazuro Pigeons nest in every month of the year. A fragile nest is built from sticks and one egg is laid. Both parents incubate the egg. Once the egg has hatched, the chick is fed on crop milk and then regurgitated seeds.

White-crowned Pigeon

2010-02-07T03:49:00.000-08:00

The White-crowned Pigeon is a species of bird in the family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). It inhabits the northern and centralCaribbean islands and some places on the North and Central American mainland. John James Audubon famously painted this bird in the 19th century.

It is 29 centimetres (11 in), has a wingspan of 48 centimetres (19 in), and weighs 0.15 kilograms (0.33 lb). The adult is dark grey, with green and white bars on the nape, a brilliant white crown to the head, a white iris, and a pale-tipped red bill. Juveniles are a less dark shade of grey, lack the nape pattern and white iris, and show only a few pale feathers on the crown. The song is row of a Mourning Dove-like woo pop woooo calls; this species is a member of a diverse clade of Patagioenas which vary much in appearance, but are united by their triple coos (except in the Scaled Pigeon) (Johnson et al. 2001, Mahler & Tubaro 2001).

It is a resident breeder mainly in the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica and Antigua. It breeds in smaller numbers in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Anguilla and other Caribbean islands. It also breeds along the Caribbean coast of Central America. In the United States it is found only in the Florida Keys and the southern tip of mainland Florida.

The main threat to this species is hunting. In Florida a major cause of mortality is collision with man-made objects. Another main threat to this species is loss of habitat. The White-crowned Pigeon needs two distinct habitats, one for nesting and one for feeding. They typically breed in coastal red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle), which continue to be clear-cut for crops such as sugarcane. Agriculture and deforestation have become a problem for the species' feeding grounds, typically inland hardwood forests. The bird is very skittish, and is known to simply abandon its nest when it is encroached upon.

Band-tailed Pigeon

2010-02-07T03:46:00.000-08:00

The Band-tailed Pigeon is a medium-sized bird of the Americas. Its closest relatives are the Chilean Pigeon and the Ring-tailed Pigeon, which form a clade of Patagioenas with a terminal tail band and iridescent plumage on their necks.(Johnson et al., 2001)

It ranges from British Columbia, Utah, and Colorado south in higher elevations through Mexico and Central America to northern Argentina. In autumn it migrates out of the part of its range north of California, New Mexico, and west Texas. Populations from Costa Rica south are sometimes considered a separate species, the White-naped Pigeon, P. albilinea. It is found at altitudes from 900 m to 3600 m, generally in oak, pine-oak, and coniferous forests. It feeds on seeds, notably acorns.

Morphology

It is the biggest pigeon in North America, averaging 34 to 36 cm (14–15 in) long and weighing 250–450 g. The plumage is gray, somewhat darker above. The head and underparts have a faint pink cast, especially in the adult male; the belly is nearly white. The distal half of the tail is also pale (except in the subspecies of Baja California), whence the English name. The bill and feet are yellow, good identification marks at sufficiently close range. Adults have green iridescence on the back of the neck, adjacent to a thin white collar on the nape. Juvenile birds have white feather edges above, giving a scaly appearance.

Behavior and ecology

This species is relatively quiet for a pigeon. Its voice is low-pitched and owl-like, often in two-syllable calls that rise and then fall (huu-ooh) with even spacing between calls.

It builds a rudimentary platform nest out of twigs, in which it lays one or two eggs. Outside the breeding season it forms flocks, sometimes over 50 birds, and often becomes nomadic, following the acorn crop or moving to lower altitudes or other areas outside its breeding range. Toyon berries are a food consumed by the Band-tailed Pigeon. This species often visits bird feeders.

The parasitic louse Columbicola extinctus, believed to have become extinct with the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon, was recently rediscovered on the Band-tailed Pigeon.

Spotted Dove

2010-02-07T03:28:00.000-08:00

The Spotted Dove also known as the Spotted Turtle Dove, is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in tropical southern Asia from Pakistan and Sri Lanka east to south China and Southeast Asia. It is also known as the Chinese Dove.

Range

It is a common and widespread species in open woodland, farmland and habitation over a good deal of its natural range, and this successful bird has also been introduced to the U.S. in the Los Angeles, California area. other countries it has been introduced to include Singapore, the Philippines, northern Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, it was introduced in Melbourne in the 1860s and has since spread, often replacing native doves. In Australia, they are now found in streets, parks, gardens, agricultural areas and tropical scrubs, from Hobart, Tasmania to Cooktown, Queensland to Port Lincoln, South Australia. They can also be seen in Perth, Pemberton, Kalgoorlie and Esperance, in Western Australia. The species' range is expanding.

Characteristic

This species builds a stick nest in a tree and lays two white, glossy eggs. In southern Australia, they breed mostly from September to January, and in the north in Autumn. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general.

Spotted Dove is a long-tailed, slim pigeon, ranging in length from 28 to 32 centimetres (11.2 to 12.8 inches). Its back, wings and tail are pale brown, heavily spotted with buff. In flight, it shows blackish flight feathers bordered on the inner edge with pale grey. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller than adults often lacking the patchy neckband when very immature. The head and underparts are pinkish, shading to pale grey on the face and lower belly. There is a black neck patch finely spotted with white. The legs are red.

The call is a low and gentle coo-coo-croo, with the emphasis on last note. The call occasionally is "coo-coo krrroo, krook!"

Behaviour

Spotted Doves eat grass seeds, insects, grains and other vegetation. They are fairly terrestrial, foraging on the ground in grasslands and cultivation. It breeds all year round with nests commonly found in trees, edge of buildings or even on the ground.

Like some other doves in this genus, they are not particularly gregarious, and are usually alone, or in pairs. It is tame but sudden noises flush them into flight. Flight patterns are similar to the Crested Pigeon. Upon landing, birds tilt their tail upwards. Males on display obtain a steep angle and circle down displaying their wings and tail by spreading them out.

New classification

This species has recently been placed into the genus Stigmatopelia by some authorities

Laughing Dove

2010-02-07T03:24:00.000-08:00

The Laughing Dove is a small pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in the tropics in Africa south of the Sahara, the Middle East and southern Asia east to India. In India it is also known as the Little Brown Dove. Probably as the result of stowaways from Africa or India, the bird is also found in a localised area of Western Australia — in and around Perth and Fremantle.

It is a common and widespread species in scrub, dry farmland and habitation over a good deal of its range, often becoming very tame.

This species builds a stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general.

Laughing Dove is a long-tailed, slim pigeon, typically 25 centimetres (10 inches) in length. Its back, wings and tail are reddish-brown with blue-grey in the wings. In flight, the underwings are rich chestnut.

The head and underparts are pinkish, shading to whitish on the lower abdomen. There is black spotting on the throat. The legs are red. The chuckling call is a low oo-took-took-oo-roo, with the emphasis on the took-took. Occasionally a nasal scream at one-second intervals is produced in flight or when landing. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are more rufous than adults, and have reduced throat spotting.

Laughing Doves eat grass, seeds, grains, other vegetation and small insects. They are fairly terrestrial, foraging on the ground in grasslands and cultivation. They are not particularly gregarious, and are usually alone, or in pairs.

This species has recently been placed into the genus Stigmatopelia by some authorities following the studies of Johnson et al. (2001).

African Lemon-dove

2010-02-07T03:23:00.001-08:00

The African Lemon-dove or Cinnamon Dove is a bird species in the pigeon family (Columbidae). It differs from the other African pigeons of the genus Columba by its terrestrial habits and the white face and forehead of adult males; it is therefore sometimes separated in the genus Aplopelia. Some treat the Gulf of Guinea populations as a separate species C. simplex (or A. simplex), others as subspecies of C. larvata. In the latter case, the species as a whole may be called simply Lemon-dove, and if Aplopelia is considered a valid genus it would then be monotypic.

Up to 29 cm long, adult males have a plumage that is dark brown above, glossed green on sides of neck, and cinnamon brown below. As noted, they have conspicuous white face markings. The feet, iris and orbital skin are red, the bill is black. Females and young males are generally similar, with a lighter brown plumage and dull grey facial markings. The males of western African subspecies have a dark grey plumage.

The African Lemon-dove is distributed in montane forests of Africa, ranging for example from some 100 meters to 3,000 meters ASL in eastern Africa. The diet consists mainly of various small fruits, seeds, molluscs and insects. The female usually lays two creamy white eggs.

Widespread throughout its range, the African Lemon-dove is evaluated as a Species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Nonetheless, it seems to be declining in some parts of its range; in Tanzania for example it is not rare above 1.300 meters ASL in the Nguu North Forest Reserve, but not at all common in some lower-lying habitat. It is nearly absent from the southeast of that country.

Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon

2010-02-07T03:22:00.000-08:00

The Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is found in Angola, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It is part of the Turturoena subgenus.

White-headed Pigeon

2010-02-07T02:15:00.000-08:00

The pigeon's habitat is from Cooktown, Queensland to southern New South Wales. It can commonly be found in tropical regions, subtropical rainforest, scrub, watercourses and street trees. Since colonisation of Australia, their numbers have decreased but they have thrived on the introduced Camphor laurel.

The White-headed pigeon's nest generally consists of scanty twigs and is usually placed high in canopy up to 18 metres. It tends to lay one cream-white egg. Breeding is mostly from October to December.

The size of the pigeon varies from about 38 to 41 centimetres (15.2 to 16.4 inches). Plumage consists of a white head and breast with a glossy back area. Wings and tail are black. The bill is red with a yellowish tip. The eye ring and legs are red and the eyes are pale orange or yellow. Juveniles have a grey crown and breast.

These pigeons are often found alone, pairs or in small flocks. They are very quiet and elusive. Their flight is swift and direct. Their call is loud and gruff sounding like "WHOO!" followed by a gruff inhalation sounding "uk" (repeated three times). Sometimes the call is a low "oom".

White-headed pigeons feed on fruit in canopy but can also feed on the ground in the open. It also eats fallen grains in cornfields.

Nilgiri Wood-pigeon

2010-02-07T02:12:00.000-08:00

The Nilgiri Woodpigeon is large pigeon found in the moist deciduous forests and sholas of the Western Ghats in southwestern India. They are mainly frugivorous and forage in the canopy of dense hill forests. They are best identified in the field by their large size, dark colours and the distinctive checkerboard pattern on their nape.

Description

This pigeon appears dark grey and a black and white patterned patch on the back of the neck is distinctive. The mantle is chestnut. The male has a paler grey grown while the female has a darker grey crown with a pale throat. The most confusable other species is the Mountain Imperial Pigeon but that species has paler underwing coverts. The feet and the base of the bill are red.

The species is evolutionarily close to the Ceylon Woodpigeon Columba torringtoni and the Ashy Wood-pigeon Columba pulchricollis with which it is treated as a superspecies. This groups is considered as basal within the Old World Columba pigeons. The binomial commemorates the Hon. Mountstuart Elphinstone (1779-1859).

Distribution

The species is mainly found along the Western Ghats and in the Nilgiri Hills. Although found mainly in the hills, it is sometimes seen at lower elevations within the Western Ghats. A few relict populations survive on the high elevations hills of the peninsula outside the main distribution including the Biligirirangan Hills and Nandi Hills near Bangalore.

Behaviour and ecology

They are usually seen singly, in pairs or small groups, feeding almost entirely in the trees but sometimes descending to the ground to forage for fallen fruits. Although mainly feeding on fruits they have been recorded taking small snails. The breeding season is March to July during which time they make a flimsy platform of twigs with the single white egg visible from under the nest. They feed on large fruits and may play an important role in dispersal of many forest tree species.

African Olive-pigeon

2010-02-07T02:10:00.000-08:00

The African Olive-pigeon or Rameron Pigeon is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in much of eastern and southern Africa from Ethiopia to the Cape. There are also populations in western Angola, southwestern Saudi Arabia and northern Yemen. It is locally common, although there are sizeable gaps in its distribution due to its habitat requirements.

This is a species of cool, moist forest canopies above 1,400 m altitude, although it occurs locally as low as 700 m. It will use mountain fynbos, second growth and clearings, and feed on agricultural land when not persecuted.

The African Olive-pigeon builds a large stick nest up to 15 m high in a tree and lays one (rarely two) white eggs. The eggs are incubated for 17-20 days to hatching, and the chicks fledge in another 20 days.

The male has a display consisting of deep bows, and a display flight which consists of a climb, wingclapping, and slow glide down.

The adult male African Olive-pigeon is a large pigeon at 37-42 cm in length. Its back and wings are maroon, with the shoulders heavily speckled with white spots. The underparts are maroon with heavy white spotting, and the head is grey with yellow patches around the eye, and a yellow bill. The neck plumage, used in display, is streaked maroon and white, the underwing and undertail are dark grey, and the feet are yellow.

Females are very similar but somewhat duller. Juvenile birds have the maroon and grey replaced with dark brown, the bare parts are a dull greenish-yellow, and the wing feathers have pale fringes. In flight, this pigeon looks very dark. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. The call is a loud coo coo.

The African Olive-pigeon feeds on fruit and berries, mainly picked in the canopy, but it will also descend for fallen fruit and take some insects and caterpillars. In the south of its range, it favours the fruit of the bugweed, Solanum mauritianum. Birds will fly considerable distances from their roosts to feeding areas, and young or non-breeding birds will form flocks.

Afep Pigeon Afep

2010-02-07T00:37:00.001-08:00

The Afep Pigeon is a member of the Columbidae family which lives in Africa. It is also known as the African Wood-pigeon or Gray Wood-pigeon.

Like many other pigeons, it mainly feeds on grain and seeds.

The Afep Pigeon has a pale gray neck and body, with darker gray wings and in part, tail. Its irises and eye ceres are bright red.

Common Wood Pigeon

2010-02-07T00:34:00.000-08:00

The Common Wood Pigeon is a member of the dove and pigeons family Columbidae. It is locally known in south east England as the Culver.

Distribution

In the colder northern and eastern parts of its Europe and western Asia range the Common Wood Pigeon is a migrant, but in southern and western Europe it is a well distributed and often abundant resident.

Description

The three Western European Columba pigeons, Common Wood Pigeon, Stock Pigeon, and Rock Pigeon, though superficially alike, have very distinctive characteristics; the Common Wood Pigeon may be identified at once by its larger size at 38–43 cm, and the white on its neck and wing. It is otherwise a basically grey bird, with a pinkish breast.

Juvenile birds do not have the white patches on either side of the neck. When they are about 6 months old (about 3 months out of the nest) they gain small white patches on both sides of the neck, which gradually enlarge until they are fully formed when the bird is about 6–8 months old (approx. ages only). Juvenile birds also have a greyer beak and an overall lighter grey appearance than adult birds.

Behaviour

Its flight is quick, performed by regular beats, with an occasional sharp flick of the wings, characteristic of pigeons in general. It takes off with a loud clattering. It perches well, and in its nuptial display walks along a horizontal branch with swelled neck, lowered wings, and fanned tail. During the display flight the bird climbs, the wings are smartly cracked like a whiplash, and the bird glides down on stiff wings. The noise in climbing flight is caused by the whipcracks on the downstroke rather than the wings striking together. The Common Wood Pigeon is gregarious, often forming very large flocks outside the breeding season.

Breeding

It breeds in trees in woods, parks and gardens, laying two white eggs in a simple stick nest which hatch after 17 to 19 days. Wood pigeons seem to have a preference for trees near roadways and rivers. The nests are vulnerable to attack, particularly by crows, the more so early in the year when the leaf cover is not fully formed. The young usually fly at 33 to 34 days; however if the nest is disturbed some young may be able to survive having left the nest as early as 20 days from hatching.

Diet

Most of its diet is vegetable, taken from open fields or gardens and lawns; young shoots and seedlings are favoured, and it will take grain, as well as certain fruits and berries. This species can be an agricultural pest, and it is often shot, being a legal quarry species in most European countries. It is wary in rural areas, but often quite tame where it is not persecuted.

Disease

The Common Wood Pigeon is the most common pigeon in the United Kingdom, with numbers having doubled from 2008 to 2009. Although they are often seen as a pest, and their faeces can cause damage to buildings, the health risks carried by these birds are minute. In fact, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than catch a disease from any species of bird, pigeon or otherwise.

Speckled Pigeon

2010-02-07T00:30:00.000-08:00

The Speckled Pigeon or Rock Pigeon is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in much of Africa south of the Sahara. It is a common and widespread species in open habitats over a good deal of its range, although there are sizeable gaps in its distribution.

This species builds a large stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general.

This is a large pigeon at 41 cm in length. Its back and wings are rufous, the latter heavily speckled with white spots. The rest of the upperparts and underparts are blue-grey, and the head is grey with red patches around the eye. The neck is brownish, streaked with white, and the legs are red. The call is a loud doo-doo-doo.

Sexes are similar, but immatures are browner than adults.

The Speckled Pigeon is frequently seen around human habitation and cultivation. Most of its food is vegetable, and it gathers in large numbers where grain or groundnuts are available.

Information About Rock Pigeon

2010-01-28T21:30:00.001-08:00

The Rock Pigeon, or Rock Dove, is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon". The species includes the domestic pigeon, and escaped domestic pigeons have given rise to the Feral Pigeon.

Wild Rock Pigeons are pale grey with two black bars on each wing, although domestic and feral pigeons are very variable in colour and pattern. There are few visible differences between males and females. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents care for the young for a time.

Habitats include various open and semi-open environments, including agricultural and urban areas. Cliffs and rock ledges are used for roosting and breeding in the wild. Originally found wild in Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, feral Rock Pigeons have become established in cities around the world. The species is abundant, with an estimated population of 17 to 28 million feral and wild birds in Europe.

Description

The adult of the nominate subspecies of the Rock Pigeon is 32–37 cm (12–14½ in) long with a 64–72 cm (25–28 in) wingspan. It has a dark bluish-gray head, neck, and chest with glossy yellowish, greenish, and reddish-purple iridescence along its neck and wing feathers. The iris is orange, red or golden with a paler inner ring, and the bare skin round the eye is bluish-grey. The bill is grey-black with a conspicuous off-white cere, and the feet are purplish-red.

The adult female is almost identical to the male, but the iridescence on the neck is less intense and more restricted to the rear and sides, while that on the breast is often very obscure.

The white lower back of the pure Rock Pigeon is its best identification character, the two black bars on its pale grey wings are also distinctive. The tail has a black band on the end and the outer web of the tail feathers are margined with white. It is strong and quick on the wing, dashing out from sea caves, flying low over the water, its lighter grey rump showing well from above.

Young birds show little lustre and are duller. Eye colour of the pigeon is generally an orange colour but a few pigeons may have white-grey eyes. The eyelids are orange in colour and are encapsulated in a grey-white eye ring. The feet are red to pink.

When circling overhead, the white underwing of the bird becomes conspicuous. In its flight, behaviour, and voice, which is more of a dovecot coo than the phrase of the Wood Pigeon, it is a typical pigeon. Although it is a relatively strong flier, it also glides frequently, holding its wings in a very pronounced V shape as it does. Though fields are visited for grain and green food, it is nowhere so plentiful as to be a pest.

Pigeons feed on the ground in flocks or individually. They roost together in buildings or on walls or statues. When drinking, most birds take small sips and tilt their heads backwards to swallow the water. Pigeons are able to dip their bills into the water and drink continuously without having to tilt their heads back. When disturbed, a pigeon in a group will take off with a noisy clapping sound.

Homing pigeons, are well known for their ability to find their way home from long distances. Despite these demonstrated abilities, wild Rock Pigeons are sedentary and rarely leave their local areas.

Distribution and habitat

The Rock Pigeon has a restricted natural resident range in western and southern Europe, North Africa, and into South Asia. The Rock Pigeon is often found in pairs in the breeding season but is usually gregarious. The species (including ferals) has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10 million km². It has a large global population, including an estimated 17–28 million individuals in Europe Fossil evidence suggests the Rock Pigeon originated in southern Asia and skeletal remains unearthed in Israel confirm their existence there for at least three hundred thousand years. Its habitat is natural cliffs, usually on coasts. Its domesticated form, the feral pigeon, has been widely introduced elsewhere, and is common, especially in cities, over much of the world. In Great Britain, Ireland and much of its former range. A Rock Pigeon's life span is anywhere from 3–5 years in the wild to 15 years in captivity, though longer-lived specimens have been reported. The species was first introduced to North America in 1606 at Port Royal, Nova Scotia.

Reproduction

The Rock Pigeon breeds at any time of the year, but peak times are spring and summer. Nesting sites are situated along coastal cliff faces, as well as the artificial cliff faces created by apartment buildings with accessible ledges or roof spaces.

The type of nest constructed is a flimsy platform of straw and sticks, put on ledge, under cover. Often window ledges of buildings. Two white eggs are laid with incubation that is shared by both parents lasting from seventeen to nineteen days.

The nestling has pale yellow down and a flesh-coloured bill with a dark band. It is tended and fed on "crop milk" like other doves. The fledging period is 30 days.

Predators

Pigeons are preyed upon by many different predators with Peregrine Falcons and Sparrowhawks being quite adept at catching and feeding upon this species, as shown by the high losses of racing pigeons to these predators. Some common predators of feral pigeons in the North America are Opossums, Raccoons, Great Horned Owls, and Eastern Screech-owls. Other predators include the Golden Eagle and American Kestrels. On the ground the adults, their young and their eggs are at risk from feral and domestic cats. Doves and pigeons are considered to be game birds as many species have been hunted and used for food in many of the countries in which they are native.

Stock Pigeon Information

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The Stock Pigeon or Stock Dove is a member of the family Columbidae, doves and pigeons.

In the northern part of its European and western Asiatic range the Stock Pigeon is a migrant, elsewhere it is a well distributed and often plentiful resident.

The three western European Columba pigeons, though superficially alike, have very distinctive characters. The Wood Pigeon may at once be told by the white on its neck (in adults) and wings. The Rock Pigeon and Stock Pigeon are more alike in size and plumage, but wild specimens of the former have a white rump and two well-marked dark bars on the wing, while the rump of the Stock Pigeon is grey and its wing bars incomplete. Feral pigeon (the same species as Rock Pigeon) is highly variable, and indistinctly marked grey specimens with the white rump missing can sometimes resemble the Stock Pigeon quite closely.

The haunts of the Stock Pigeon are in more or less open country, for though it often nests in trees it prefers parklands to thick woods. It is also common on coasts where the cliffs provide holes. Its flight is quick, performed by regular beats, with an occasional sharp flick of the wings, characteristic of pigeons in general.

It perches well, and in nuptial display walks along a horizontal branch with swelled neck, lowered wings, and fanned tail. During the circling spring flight the wings are smartly cracked like a whip.

The Stock Pigeon is sociable as well as gregarious, often consorting with Wood Pigeons, though doubtless it is the presence of food which brings them together.

Most of its food is vegetable; young shoots and seedlings are favoured, and it will take grain as well as insects and snails.

The short, deep, "grunting" Ooo-uu-ooh call is quite distinct from the modulated cooing notes of the Wood Pigeon; it is loud enough to be described, somewhat fancifully, as "roaring".

The nest (though nesting material is seldom used) is usually in a hole in a tree, a crack in a rock face, or in a rabbit burrow, but the bird also nests in ivy, or in the thick growth round the boles of common lime (linden) trees. It will also use nest boxes.

All About Bolle's Pigeon

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The Bolle's Pigeon is a member of the family Columbidae, doves and pigeons, which is endemic to the Canary Islands, Spain.

It is a resident breeder in the mountain laurisilva forest zone. Bolle's Pigeon builds a stick nest in a tree, laying one white egg.

At 37–40 cm, it looks like a very dark Wood Pigeon. It is a basically dark grey bird, with a pinkish breast. It lacks any white markings, which together with its darker plumage distinguishes it from the other species.

Its dark grey, rather than brown plumage, and the dark bands on the grey tail distinguish it from the other pigeon endemic to the Canary Islands, the Laurel Pigeon.

Its flight is quick, performed by regular beats, with an occasional sharp flick of the wings, characteristic of pigeons in general. It takes off with a loud clattering.

The call is a hoarse cooing.

This bird is named after the German naturalist Carl Bolle, who was the first to distinguish it from the Laurel Pigeon.