Sparrow dust
| Sparrow dust | ||||||||||
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Sparrow dust ( Columbina passerina ) |
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| Columbina passerina | ||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The sparrow dust ( Columbina passerina ) is a type of pigeon bird , which is assigned to the subfamily of the American pigeons . The species is not considered endangered in its existence and occurs in several subspecies from North America to South America.
Appearance
The sparrow dust reaches a body length of 16.5 centimeters. It is one of the very small pigeon species. The build is compact. The tail is very short. Sex dimorphism is weak. The females are a little more dull in color. They lack the pink tone that the males show on some parts of the body.
In the male, the head, neck and chest are gray with a pink tinge. They show black spots on the chest and the sides of the neck. This is what distinguishes them, among other things, from the otherwise very similar dwarf doves . The rest of the top of the body is gray to brownish gray. The elytra are pink and have iridescent dark spots. The wings of the hand are maroon and have dark tips. The under tail-coverts are gray-brown. The beak is yellow to reddish at the base. The tip of the beak is always dark to almost completely black.
Distribution area and way of life
The distribution area of the sparrow dust extends from the southern United States over Central America to South America. In South America the range is disjoint. In the United States, the species occurs in South Carolina to Florida and along the Gulf Coast to Texas. The altitude distribution of the species extends from the coastal area to heights of 2,900 meters.
The populations found in the United States migrate south during the winter half-year. In the rest of the distribution area the sparrow dust is a resident bird. It is a very lively species of pigeon that spends most of the day foraging on the ground. The food spectrum consists of seeds, small berries, insects and their larvae. The breeding time varies depending on the area of distribution. In the southern United States, the sparrow dust breeds from February to November and shows a certain dependence on the food supply. The nest is made on the ground or at a low height in bushes. The clutch usually consists of two eggs. Occasionally however - relatively unusual for pigeons - it also includes three white-shelled eggs. The breeding season is 13 to 14 days. The young birds can fledge after eleven to twelve days. Both parent birds are involved in the incubation of the eggs and the rearing of the young.
Keeping in human care
Sparrow dust was first shown at Amsterdam Zoo in 1854. The first breeding succeeded with the nominate form in 1860 at the London Zoo. The first German breeding took place in 1874. Despite their small size, sparrow dust can only be kept in aviaries. They are very scared and injure themselves in cages that do not offer them adequate retreat.
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 types 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 links
- Columbina passerina inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2013.