White-headed pigeon
| White-headed pigeon | ||||||||||
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White-headed pigeon ( Henicophaps albifrons ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Henicophaps albifrons | ||||||||||
| Gray , 1862 |
The white- headed dove ( Henicophaps albifrons ), also known as the long-billed dove or white-forehead dove , is a species from the genus Henicophaps within the pigeon family (Columbidae). The term white-forehead pigeon is also used for a pigeon that occurs in North and South America, the sound- swinging pigeon ( Leptotila ).
The white-headed pigeon is only found on a few Southeast Asian islands. It is classified by the IUCN as 
(= least concern - not endangered). There are two subspecies.
Appearance
The white-headed pigeon reaches a body length between 37 and 41 centimeters. It is about the size of a city pigeon and its weight is around 250 grams. The very long, strong dark beak, which tapers to a point, is striking. The male's forehead and crown are white. The female, on the other hand, has a rather yellowish forehead. The plumage is purple-brown. The wing covers shimmer metallic. The iris is dark. The feet are reddish.
Possible confusion
There are several species in the distribution area of the white-headed pigeon, with which it can be confused. The white-cheeked pigeon corresponds to the white-headed pigeon in body size and resembles it in plumage. The white-headed pigeon, however, lacks the iridescent sheen on the mantle and the wing-coverts, which is characteristic of this species. The pheasant pigeon is a ground-dwelling species with chestnut-brown plumage, but is significantly larger than the white-headed pigeon. There is a possibility of confusion here, especially with pigeons that fly up. The brown-backed green-winged pigeon , like the white-headed pigeon, has purple plumage with a metallic sheen and a white forehead. But it is significantly smaller than the white-headed pigeon.
Distribution area
The white-headed pigeon is an endemic species of the Papua region, which is the most species and shape-rich region of the world in relation to pigeons. It occurs in New Guinea and the adjacent islands of Aru , Misool , Salawati , Gam, Waigeo and Yapen . Overall, it is not very common, but it can occur regionally and seasonally in greater numbers. It predominantly inhabits rain and monsoon forests, but has also been observed in drier secondary forests and even on teak plantations. It occurs from the lowlands to mountainous regions at an altitude of 2,150 meters.
The two subspecies occur in the following regions:
- H. a. albifrons GR Gray, 1862 - Islands in western New Guinea (Waigeo, Salawati, Misool), mainland New Guinea and the island of Yapen in the Cenderawasih Bay
- H. a. Schlegeli (Rosenberg, 1866) - Aru Islands , a group of islands about 150 km south of New Guinea in the Arafura Sea .
Way of life
The white-headed pigeon is a ground-dwelling pigeon that is usually observed individually or in pairs. Their food spectrum includes fruits, insects and other invertebrates. With its long beak, it examines the ground for larvae and seeds. Outside of the time of foraging, it usually rests on low branches. It also occasionally picks up fruit that is still hanging on the branches. It is a rather shy species. If it is frightened, it flies up without instrumental sounds and usually sits down on a branch nearby to watch the intruder. Very little is known about the reproductive behavior of this pigeon. It probably breeds before and at the beginning of the rainy season. In western New Guinea, breeding white-crowned pigeons were seen in June and July.
literature
- Bruce M. Beehler , Thane K. Pratt: Birds of New Guinea; Distribution, Taxonomy, and Systematics . Princeton University Press, Princeton 2016, ISBN 978-0-691-16424-3 .
- 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 .
- Gerhard Rösler: The wild pigeons of the earth - free living, keeping and breeding . Verlag M. & H. Schaper, Alfeld Hannover 1996, ISBN 3-7944-0184-0 .
Web links
- Henicophaps albifrons onthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Handbook of the Birds of the World zur Weißscheiteltaube , accessed on May 25, 2017.
- ↑ Rösler, p. 161
- ^ Gibbs, Barnes and Cox: Pigeons and Doves , p. 207.
- ^ Beehler & Pratt: Birds of New Guinea , p. 63.
- ↑ Gibbs, p. 297
- ^ Beehler & Pratt: Birds of New Guinea , p. 68.
- ^ Gibbs, p. 296
- ↑ Gibbs, p. 297