Cordilleras
| Cordilleras | ||||||||||
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Cordilleras ( Metriopelia melanoptera ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Metriopelia melanoptera | ||||||||||
| ( Molina , 1782) |
The cordillera pigeon ( Metriopelia melanoptera ), also called black- winged pigeon or white- bellied pigeon , is a species of pigeon birds and is part of the subfamily of the American small pigeons . It occurs exclusively in South America and is a resident of the highlands there. The stock is considered safe.
Appearance
The cordillera pigeon reaches a body length of 22 centimeters and is therefore much smaller than a laughing pigeon . The physique is compact. The sexual dimorphism is only slightly pronounced; in females, the pink tone on the breast and stomach is not as pronounced as in males.
Cordillera pigeons have a predominantly light reddish brown plumage that is partially tinged with pink. The throat is light gray and only fuzzy from the rest of the plumage. The breast is light brownish pink. The flanks merge into a light shade of gray. The belly is lighter in color compared to the chest. The under tail-coverts are black. The outer wing covers are light gray. The white spot on the shoulder is striking. The beak is pointed and dark. The iris is greenish to brownish inside and reddish outside.
Distribution and way of life
The distribution area of the cordillera pigeon extends from Peru via Bolivia to the north of Chile. The species is also found in western Argentina, Ecuador and Colombia. In the south of Colombia the species is common in places, in other parts of the distribution area it is comparatively rare. It is often found in the mountains and settles in western Bolivia at altitudes between 2,000 and 4,800 meters above sea level.
Like several other species of the genus Metriopelia, the cordillera dove inhabits arid and semi-arid habitats. The preferred habitats include stony slopes with shrub vegetation. It can often be found on open grasslands and cultivated areas, and human settlement areas are also populated. The cordillera pigeon is a resident bird, but it undertakes significant daily high-altitude migrations in order to get from the resting places to the feeding grounds. It is a predominantly ground-dwelling species and is sometimes difficult to spot due to the color of the plumage. During the feeding, the cordillera pigeon is occasionally associated with spectacle pigeons.
The breeding time varies depending on the distribution area. In Peru, for example, the species breeds in March to May, in Argentina and Chile, on the other hand, from November to April. The nest is usually set up at a height of three meters above the ground, but ground nests have also been found. The clutch consists of two eggs and the incubation period is 14 days.
attitude
The cordillera pigeon is rarely kept. The first pigeons came to Germany in 1981. Compared to other species of the genus Metriopelia , this highland pigeon species is not very sensitive to cold. However, the wet and cold weather sets in, so that a dry interior must be available to her in the aviary.
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
- Metriopelia melanoptera inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2013.