Silver pigeon
| Silver pigeon | ||||||||||
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Silver pigeon ( Columba argentina ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Columba Argentina | ||||||||||
| Bonaparte , 1855 |
The silver pigeon ( Columba argentina ) is a species of pigeon from the genus of field pigeons ( Columba ). It occurs on the smaller neighboring islands west of Sumatra .
features
The silver pigeon cannot be distinguished from the two-colored fruit pigeon ( Ducula bicolor ) from a distance . Therefore, in the past, both types were often confused with one another. It reaches a body length of 34 to 38 cm. The plumage is predominantly light blue-gray. The hand and arm wings are black. The tail is gray-white on the basal half and black on the distal half. A green iridescence is indicated on the back of the neck. The iris is reddish brown, orange-brown, orange or yellow. The orbital skin is dark red. The beak is brownish or purple at the base and light green or yellowish green at the tip. The gray legs have a reddish tinge or blotch. The female is a little darker and less silvery than the male when both sexes are in fresh plumage. The juvenile birds have a sand-yellow-brown chest and sand-yellow-brown feathers.
Distribution area
The silver pigeon is found on the islands of Simeuluë , Nias , Bojo in the Batu Islands and on Masokut and Simaimu south of Siberut . Earlier records existed of the Riau Islands and the Lingga Islands east of Sumatra, the islands Karimata , Anambas, and Natuna Besar west of Borneo, and Sumatra and Borneo itself.
Habitat and way of life
The silver pigeon inhabits mangroves, woodlands and coconut groves in the lowlands and on hills. Their way of life is little studied. The nest is built in a tree or a bush. The clutch consists of a white egg with a chalky surface structure. During an observation in 1899 on the island of Burung, the species bred in a mixed school with the two-colored fruit pigeon. When searching for food, the silver pigeon wanders between the islands.
status
In the 19th century the silver pigeon was a common bird. However, in the early 20th century, this species experienced a catastrophic decline, largely due to overhunting and habitat destruction through deforestation. Between 1931 and 2008 there were no more confirmed sightings, so that the extinction of the silver pigeon was feared. In October 2008, ornithologist Mark T. Lee and his Indonesian colleagues Tun Ping Ong and Ding Li Yong observed and photographed a specimen that was flying from Masokut Island towards Simaimu Island south of Siberut. After comparing 20 museum bellows of the two-colored fruit pigeon with eight old bellows of the silver pigeon and a photo of a pair of silver pigeons in human care from Hong Kong from the year 2000, the rediscovery of the species believed to be lost was confirmed.
In 2010 there were possible sightings on Siberut and the Batu Islands and in December 2010 the ornithologist James A. Eaton managed a sighting on Simeuluë. The silver pigeon is probably extinct on the islands of Burung, Batam and Bintan as well as on Sumatra, although there have been possible sightings on the southeast coast in recent years. Since the year 2000 the silver pigeon has been listed by the IUCN in the category “ critically endangered ” . In addition to habitat destruction, the main threat is currently the booming trade in caged birds in Indonesia. Two specimens were caught on the island of Nias in June 2016. BirdLife International estimates the game population at around 50 specimens.
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 , pp. 203-204
- Mark T. Lee, Yong Ding Li & Ong Tun Pin: A photographic record of Silvery Pigeon Columba argentina from the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia, with notes on identification, distribution and conservation. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 129 (3), 2009: 122-128.
- M. Iqbal: In search of the Silvery Pigeon Columba argentina in South Sumatran province, Indonesia. Birding ASIA 13, 2010: 9-10.
- James A. Eaton , J. Rossouw: Little-known Asian bird: Silvery Pigeon Columba argentina on Simeuluë and the Batu islands, Sumatra, Indonesia. Birding ASIA 15, 2011: 78-79.
- James A. Eaton: Silvery Wood Pigeon Columba argentina rediscovered. Suara Enggang 19 (1), 2011: 6-7.
- James A. Eaton, Bas van Balen , Nick W. Brickle, Frank E. Rheindt: Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago Greater Sundas and Wallacea Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, 2016. ISBN 978-84-941892-6-5
- Baptista, LF, Trail, PW, Horblit, HM, de Juana, E., Sharpe, CJ & Kirwan, GM (2017). Silvery Pigeon (Columba argentina). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, DA & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Retrieved from HBW Alive on May 27, 2017.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Yong Ding Li: Notes on the status and identification of the Silvery Pigeon Columba argentina. Birding ASIA 11, 2009: 53-58.
- ↑ Photos of the silver pigeon by James A. Eaton from December 2010 on Simeuluë
- ^ Björn Svensson & Ding Li Yong: First record of the Critically Endangered Silvery Pigeon Columba argentina from Nias Island, Sumatra, Indonesia. Birding ASIA 26 (2016): 73-75