Bluebirds

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Bluebirds
Bluebirds, females

Bluebirds, females

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Pigeon birds (Columbiformes)
Family : Pigeons (Columbidae)
Genre : Claravis
Type : Bluebirds
Scientific name
Claravis pretiosa
( Ferrari-Pérez , 1886)

The blue dove ( Claravis pretiosa ), also called ornamental dove, is a species of pigeon birds and belongs to the subfamily of the American small pigeons . The blue doves native to Central and South America have a striking sexual dimorphism . While the males have predominantly light blue-gray plumage, the females are cinnamon brown. The species is not considered to be endangered, even if it does not occur frequently in some parts of the range. The male is unmistakable due to its coloration. The female, on the other hand, is similar to the purple breasted pigeon and Geoffroy's pigeon .

Appearance

The blue dove reaches a body length of 21 centimeters. It is significantly smaller than a laughing dove . Compared to this species, the blue dove is more stocky and has a shorter tail.

The male's forehead and throat are almost white. The rest of the plumage is predominantly light blue-gray. The underside of the body is a little lighter. Black spots arranged in rows can be found on the wing covers as well as on the arm wings. The hand wings are black-gray. The under tail cover is gray-white. The female has a gray-white forehead and throat, the head is otherwise gray-brown. The cinnamon-brown back and trunk are striking. The spots on the wing covers and arm wings are reddish-purple in her.

distribution and habitat

The distribution area of ​​the blue dove extends from eastern Mexico through Central America to northwestern Peru (west of the Andes) and into northern Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil. The habitat of this pigeon species are moist and semi-moist forests, dry deciduous forests, forest edges, clearings and shrub savannah. The altitude distribution extends from the lowlands to altitudes of 2,100 meters above sea level.

behavior

Bluebirds are predominantly resident birds. However, especially in the arid regions of their range, seasonal migrations occur when food resources become scarcer. On the Yucatan Peninsula, blue doves are very rare from March to May, whereas birds are relatively common in the period from June to August. In Peru and Bolivia, however, such migrations are not observed. Bluebirds are ground-dwelling and inconspicuous pigeons. They only fly up when they are disturbed and then usually tree up nearby on low branches. They occur mostly singly or in pairs. Smaller groups or even larger swarms are very rare. The food spectrum includes seeds, small fruits and insects.

The breeding time depends on the respective distribution area. In Panama, for example, this species breeds from March to August, while in Peru and Bolivia it usually breeds in September to December. The nest is built in dense undergrowth or in creepers and consists of a very loose and fragile platform made of branches. The clutch consists of two white-shelled eggs. The breeding season is 14 to 15 days and the young birds fledge after 13 to 14 days. However, they often leave the nest as early as their 10th day of life.

Keeping in human care

Bluebirds were first shown at the Amsterdam Zoo in 1857. Today, however, they are in demand in European wild pigeon keeping because of their peacefulness towards other bird species, their attractive coloring and their harmonious physique, but they are relatively seldom kept. At the beginning of the 1990s, only about 100 breeding pairs were kept in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. You need bright, sunlit aviaries. Since they are sensitive to cold, they must be overwintered warm.

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Rösler, p. 203.
  2. ↑ Gibbs, p. 345.
  3. ↑ Gibbs, p. 345.
  4. ↑ Münst, S. 87th
  5. ↑ Rösler, p. 204
  6. ↑ Münst, S. 86th

literature

  • David Gibbs, Eustace Barnes and John Cox: Pigeons and Doves - A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World . Pica Press, Sussex 2001, ISBN 90-74345-26-3 .
  • Alois Münst and Josef Wolters: Tauben - The species of wild pigeons , 2nd expanded and revised edition, Verlag Karin Wolters, Bottrop 1999, ISBN 3-9801504-9-6 .
  • Gerhard Rösler: The wild pigeons of the earth - free living, keeping and breeding . M. & H. Schaper Verlag, Alfeld-Hannover 1996, ISBN 3-7944-0184-0 .

Web links

Commons : Bluebirds  - collection of images, videos and audio files