American pigeons

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American pigeons
Rust pigeon (Columbina talpacoti)

Rust pigeon ( Columbina talpacoti )

Systematics
Sub-stem : Vertebrates (vertebrata)
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Pigeon birds (Columbiformes)
Family : Pigeons (Columbidae)
Subfamily : American pigeons
Scientific name
Columbininae
Brooding Inca pigeons
Sparrow dust

The American small pigeons are a subfamily of the pigeons . This subfamily includes 17 species, which are usually assigned to five genera. One species is endangered: The population of Geoffroy's pigeons has declined dramatically since the beginning of the 20th century and is only estimated at 50 to 249 individuals.

Appearance

American pigeons are very small pigeon birds. The smallest species include the sparrow dust , which is only 16.5 centimeters tall, and the dwarf dove , which is 15 centimeters long. The last species is therefore not much bigger than a sparrow. The purple breast pigeon with 22 centimeters is one of the largest species .

All American small pigeons have a compact shape and often a short tail. The plumage lacks striking colors. Gray and brown tones with black spots and feather edges predominate.

distribution and habitat

The distribution area of ​​the American pigeon stretches from the south of the United States and northwest Mexico over Central America, the islands of the Caribbean to Argentina, Paraguay and the southeast of Brazil. They use different habitats within their area of ​​distribution. The inca pigeon and the sparrow dust occur at the northernmost point . Its northern limit of distribution is Arizona and southern South Carolina .

Some species occur exclusively in the lowlands. The Aymara pigeon , which is native to southern Peru, Bolivia and Chile as well as Argentina, lives at altitudes of up to 4,500 meters.

behavior

Most of the American small pigeons spend most of the day on the ground. They look for food there or bathe in the sun. However, they are not as tightly bound to the ground as is the case, for example, with the American and Indo-Pacific earth pigeons . All species are grain-eater. However, their food spectrum also includes green parts of plants as well as insects and their larvae. Most species breed in open nests. In contrast to this, the spectacled pigeon and the moraine pigeon are cave-brooders that use both tree hollows and rock niches.

Genera and species

The following genera and species belong to the American small pigeons

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Factsheet about Geoffroy's pigeons , accessed May 17, 2009.
  2. ↑ Rösler, p. 197.
  3. ↑ Rösler, p. 199.
  4. ↑ a b Rösler, p. 208.
  5. ↑ Rösler, p. 193.

literature

  • Gerhard Rösler: The wild pigeons of the earth - free life, keeping and breeding , Verlag M. & H. Schaper, Alfeld-Hannover 1996, ISBN 3-7944-0184-0 .