Comoros pigeon
| Comoros pigeon | ||||||||||
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Comoros pigeon ( Columba pollenii ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Columba pollenii | ||||||||||
| Schlegel , 1866 |
The Comorian pigeon ( Columba pollenii ) is a species of pigeon ( Columba ). It occurs in the Comoros . The type epithet honors the Dutch naturalist François Pollen .
features
The Comoros pigeon reaches a body length of 35 to 40 cm. It is a heavy, very large, almost uniformly gray pigeon. In flight, clear black-gray hand and arm wings and lighter gray wing covers can be seen. The lower wings are similarly dark gray. The unmarked black-gray tail is large and has a square end. The forehead is wine gray, the rest of the head is gray. The courtship dress consists of white-lined lancet feathers, which are maroon-brown in the center and appear as jagged stripes.
Vocalizations
The call is similar to that of the olive pigeon ( Columba arquatrix ). However, there should be a deep mooo call.
habitat
The Comoros pigeon inhabits primary and secondary lowland forests as well as evergreen mountain forests . It is most commonly found at high altitudes, but on Maore ( Mayotte ) it can also be observed deeper down to sea level. Although it has been known to seek out clearings and breed in secondary forests while foraging, plantations and gardens are not part of their habitat.
Way of life
The Comoros pigeon is a resident bird that is largely restricted to the lowland forests. However, it is known to travel some distances from resting places to feeding grounds in the lowlands . There are population migrations that are presumably dependent on the food supply. Comorian pigeons feed on a variety of fruits that they find in the canopy of leaves. Also berries , seeds , caterpillars and insects are part of the food supply. In search of food, they sometimes come down to the ground and collect gravel to aid digestion.
Breeding activities have been observed between April and November, but in all likelihood the breeding season depends on the availability of food throughout the year. The nest is made of twigs, grass and leaves and is usually up to 15 m above the ground in trees and bushes at the edges of the forest or in clearings. Usually a single, shiny white egg is laid, but rarely can there be two. The clutch is incubated for 17 to 20 days and the young are fledged after about 20 days. Little is known about their mating behavior. However, the male's courtship flight is typical for the species group. It rises steeply, flaps its wings loudly and then glides back to its preferred seat guard with spread wings and tail feathers.
status
BirdLife International has put the Comorian pigeon on the "warning list" ( near threatened ). The threat does not only come from overhunting and introduced predators, but also from the aversion of the Comorian pigeon to man-made habitats. The increasing deforestation of primary forests leads to loss of habitat and stocks. The Comorian pigeon is locally common in primary highland forests on Ngazidja ( Grande Comore ), Mwali ( Mohéli ) and Ndzuani ( Anjouan ). Their future depends on the protection of forests across the Comoros.
literature
- David Gibbs: Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World . A & C Black, 2001. ISBN 978-1873403600 : p. 196-197
Web links
- BirdLife Species factsheet
- Columba pollenii inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2013.