Gray-headed pigeon
| Gray-headed pigeon | ||||||||||
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Gray-headed pigeon ( Leptotila plumbeiceps ) |
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| Leptotila plumbeiceps | ||||||||||
| Sclater & Salvin , 1868 |
The gray-headed pigeon ( Leptotila plumbeiceps ), also called brown-backed pigeon or Bonaparte pigeon, is a species of pigeon birds. It occurs in several subspecies exclusively in Central and South America. Its existence is not considered to be endangered.
Appearance
The gray-headed pigeon reaches a body length of 25 centimeters. The forehead is light blue-gray, while the top of the head, the sides of the neck and the upper coat are blue-gray. The face is yellow-brown and tinged with pink. The throat is white. The chest is pale pink. The belly and the underside of the tail are white. The mantle, the back, the wing covers and the tail feathers are dark olive brown. This dark plumage is tinged with pink. The beak is dark gray to black.
Distribution area and habitat
The distribution area of the gray-headed pigeon extends from Mexico through Central America to Colombia. The height distribution extends from the lowlands to heights of 1,500 meters above sea level. It is a common species in parts of its range. In its habitat it is adaptable. In Central America it lives in humid tropical rainforests. In Colombia, on the other hand, they can also be found in drier forests and in bushland. It needs dense undergrowth, but tolerates selective logging.
behavior
The gray-headed pigeon is a resident bird. It is a ground-dwelling species that is usually shy about behaving. When alarmed, she is more likely to seek protection in the thick undergrowth rather than being exposed. It just stands low. They usually live singly or in pairs. The reproduction time is variable, but has not yet been investigated in the entire range. In Costa Rica it breeds in May, in Colombia, on the other hand, ready-to-reproduce gray-headed pigeons have already been observed in January. The nest is built in the undergrowth at a height of about three meters. Individual periods of reproductive behavior have so far only been observed in pigeons kept in human care. The breeding season is 14 to 16 days. The young birds fledge after 14 to 16 days. The females are ready to mate again two to three weeks after the young birds have fledged.
Keeping in human care
The gray-headed pigeon was first imported to Europe by Jean Théodore Delacour . This ornithologist also succeeded in breeding the species for the first time in 1912 and 1913.
supporting documents
Individual evidence
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 link
- Leptotila plumbeiceps onthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2014.