Bonin dove
| Bonin dove | ||||||||||
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Bonin dove ( Columba versicolor ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Columba versicolor | ||||||||||
| Kittlitz , 1832 |
The Bonin pigeon ( Columba versicolor ) is an extinct species of pigeon from the genus of field pigeons ( Columba ). It was endemic to the Bonin Islands .
features
The Bonin dove reached a length of 45 centimeters. The back was metallic gold purple. The underside was light gray. The rump was green. The elytra were lighter and more shiny gold. The top of the head was metallic green. At the back of the neck the color turned dark purple and green. The iris was dark brown. The beak was greenish yellow. The feet were dark red.
Occurrence and habitat
The Bonin Dove was found in forests on Nakodo-jima and Chichi-jima in the Bonin Islands .
Way of life
When Heinrich von Kittlitz discovered the species in 1828, he was often able to observe it in association with the violet pigeon ( Columba janthina ). They hunted for food individually or in pairs and ate the fruits of fan palms .
die out
The main cause of the Bonin pigeon's extinction was believed to be overhunting. The last specimen was shot at Nakodo-jima in 1889. There are four museum specimens in the Shimane Prefecture in Japan , the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt am Main , in Saint Petersburg and in the Natural History Museum in London .
literature
- Dieter Luther: The extinct birds of the world , 4th edition (Die neue Brehm-Bücherei 424). Westarp Sciences, Magdeburg; Spectrum, Heidelberg, 1996. ISBN 3-89432-213-6
Web links
- International Dove Society: Drawings of the Kind
- Columba versicolor inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2013.