Great green pigeon
| Great green pigeon | ||||||||||
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Big green pigeons |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Treron capellei | ||||||||||
| ( Temminck , 1823) |
The great green pigeon ( Treron capellei ), also called thick-billed pigeon , is a species of pigeon birds. It is distributed in several subspecies in Southeast Asia.
Like many Southeast Asian species that rely on contiguous forests due to their way of life, the great green pigeon is also endangered. The population situation of the great green pigeon is given by the IUCN as vulnerable due to the declining populations .
Appearance
The great green pigeon reaches a body length of 36 centimeters. It is a medium-sized, compactly built pigeon that is slightly larger than a city pigeon . The tail accounts for between 9.5 and 11 centimeters. The beak is between 2.2 and 2.4 inches long. The gender dimorphism is low.
Appearance of the male
The male has a very strong beak with a strongly curved upper beak. The wax skin is partially feathered, which makes the forehead look very flat. The front of the head, the reins and the crown are dark green to gray. This color turns into a dark green on the neck. The mantle and the small wing coverts are also dark green. The middle quilts are dark gray, the upper row of feathers is washed over with gray. The lower one has narrow golden yellow feather edges. The large elytra are black with a very thin golden-yellow border on the outer flags. The arm wings are black, the innermost two to three feathers also have golden yellow hems on the outer flags. The wings of the hand are gray-black.
The back is gray-green, the upper tail-coverts and the central control feathers are of a more intense green than the back color. The outer control springs are gray with a wide black transverse band.
The chin and throat are dull yellowish green. The ear covers and neck are a little darker. There is a wide orange band on the chest, which is the lightest in the middle and almost fades into red on the sides of the chest. The belly is dull gray-green, the flanks are gray, numerous feathers on the thighs have a cream-white outer flag. The under tail-coverts are dark red-brown.
The orbital ring is narrow and yellowish to greenish-yellow in color. The iris is brown to red-brown in most individuals. However, individuals with a whitish or yellowish iris have also been observed. The legs and feet are yellowish.
Appearance of females and fledglings
The females resemble the males. The orange chest band is more golden yellow and more uniform in color. The under tail-coverts are also lighter in the female. The young birds are colored like the females. Their breasts are bright yellowish-orange. The under tail-coverts are brownish isabel-colored.
Possible confusion
In the circulation area of the Great Grüntaube also comes orange-breasted green pigeon before that also the green pigeon belongs. The European green pigeon is, however, much smaller and has a slimmer beak in relation to its body size. The central control springs of this species are slate gray with a conspicuous black cross band in the middle. The legs of this species are also purple.
Distribution area
The great green pigeon occurs from Thailand and Malaysia to Borneo and Sumatra. The species used to be regionally common, but the population has declined sharply across the entire range. For Java and Myanmar, which belong to the historical range of this species, there are no more sightings from the last few decades. At the beginning of the 20th century, flocks of 200 to 300 large green doves were observed on the Malay Peninsula, which are no longer common today. Today groups of 20 to 30 individuals are typical, but these can only be observed in regions where there are even larger contiguous forest stands. In parts of Borneo there is also a lack of evidence that stocks still exist there. In other parts of this island they are only seen sporadically. Little is known about the population situation on Sumatra, but in 2006 a troop of 40 large green pigeons was seen there.
Way of life
The great green pigeon lives on fruits, figs play a particularly important role. On the Asian mainland, the breeding season falls from April to July. A nest with a single egg was found in Sumatra in February.
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 .
- 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
- Treron capellei in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2012. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2012. Accessed November 12, 2016th
- Call of the Great Green Dove on Xeno-Canto