Inca pigeon
| Inca pigeon | ||||||||||
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Brooding Inca pigeons |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Scardafella inca | ||||||||||
| ( Lesson , 1847) |
The Inca Dove ( scardafella inca ) is a small type of pigeon birds . It occurs from North to South America. It is a common species that is increasingly spreading north and south.
Appearance
The Inca pigeon reaches a body length of 22 centimeters and weighs between 45 and 50 grams. The body size of this small and slender pigeon is between that of a diamond pigeon and a laughing pigeon . In shape it resembles the Aymara pigeon , but the tail of the Inca pigeon is slightly longer. The gender dimorphism is only slightly pronounced.
The plumage of the Inca pigeon is predominantly gray-brown. The feathers are lined with a narrow dark gray, so that the plumage appears heavily lined. The forehead is pale gray, the head and neck brownish pink. The male's forehead and chest are clearly tinged with pink. In the females, however, this pink shade is missing. The long tail ends square. The long tail feathers have a white tip, which is particularly noticeable in flying Inca pigeons. Another characteristic of Inca pigeons that fly up is a rattling flight noise as an instrumental sound . This is created by the eighth and ninth handwings that have broken out.
Distribution, habitat and behavior
The Inca pigeon is found in the US states of New Mexico , Arizona and Texas . Their distribution area extends south to Nicaragua . It is a breeding bird in open, dry landscapes, inhabits bush biotopes and also uses arable land as a habitat. It also increasingly uses human settlement space.
The Inca pigeon finds its food mainly on the ground. The food spectrum includes various seeds. She also eats relatively large grains of wheat. Berries are of little importance in nutrition, but the pigeons also cover part of their fluid requirements with them.
The nest is built in trees, with the Inca pigeon preferring thorny trees as nesting trees. Inca pigeons often use the nests of other bird species. The clutch comprises two white eggs. The incubation period is 14 days. The young birds fledge after 14 to 16 days.
supporting documents
Individual evidence
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 .
- David Burnie (Ed.): Vögel , Munich 2008, Dorling Kindersley, ISBN 978-3-8310-1272-5 .
Web link
- Columbina inca in the Red List of Endangered Species of the IUCN 2013.2. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2014.