Wong pigeon

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Wong pigeon
Wong pigeon

Wong pigeon

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Pigeon birds (Columbiformes)
Family : Pigeons (Columbidae)
Genre : Wong pigeons
Type : Wong pigeon
Scientific name of the  genus
Leucosarcia
Gould , 1843
Scientific name of the  species
Leucosarcia melanoleuca
( Latham , 1801)
Wonga pigeon444.jpg

The Wonga Pigeon ( Leucosarcia melanoleuca ) is a type of pigeon birds. It is the only representative of its kind. Their distribution is limited to Australia.

Appearance

The wong pigeon is a large, plump pigeon with a short neck, wide and short wings and a tail that is long in relation to its size. It reaches a height between 38 and 41 centimeters. It is about the size of a wood pigeon , but a little heavier. The gender dimorphism is only slightly pronounced.

The forehead, face and throat are creamy white. The top of the head is light gray. A narrow black stripe runs from the base of the beak to the eye. The body plumage is slate blue-gray. The underside of the body is white with dark gray spots. A V-shaped band extends from the chest to both sides of the neck. Females differ from males in that the white of the forehead is less pronounced. The under tail-coverts are also yellow ocher in the female, while they are silvery gray in the male.

The eyes are dark red-brown in both sexes. They have a narrow pink eye ring. The legs are red. Young birds are largely similar to adult pigeons. However, their body plumage has a more brownish tone and the white parts of their plumage are more washed out.

The call is a monotonously repeated, rapid kuu-kuu-kuu that is widely audible. The courtship call is softer and is onomatopoeically described as kruur .

distribution and habitat

Wong pigeons are found exclusively in eastern Australia. Their distribution area runs in a wide strip along the coast of Queensland , New South Wales and Victoria .

The distribution area of ​​the wong pigeons used to extend to Cairns in the north and Dandenongs in the south. Due to clearing, heavy hunting, especially in the 1940s, as well as being stalked by introduced red foxes , wong pigeons have become rare in the outskirts of their distribution areas. However, the population numbers in these regions have risen again somewhat in recent years.

The wong pigeon lives in the thickets of the rainforests, moist eucalyptus forests and coastal forests and is mainly on the ground during the day.

behavior

Because of their dark white plumage, wong pigeons are difficult to make out in the light and darkness of a forest and are heard more often than seen. What is particularly noticeable is the loud clapping of their wings when they fly open. Their diet consists of seeds, berries and fruits. Acacia seeds play a major role in the food spectrum . It also eats mollusks and insects.

Reproduction is not tied to any season. The courtship takes place on the ground. The male keeps his wings half-raised and spreads his tail during courtship. Courtship behavior includes ritual wing cleaning, in which the white V-mark on the breast is presented to the female. This ritual wing cleaning concludes with the male tilting forward and briefly presenting the tail held vertically upwards. This is followed by beaks and partner feeding, which is followed immediately by copulation. The nest is built high in trees. The clutch consists of two eggs. The incubation period is 19 and the nestling period is 21 days.

Keeping in human care

The date on which wong pigeons were first imported into Europe is not entirely certain. The zoo in Antwerp was probably the first owner from 1845. In 1859, the London zoo first bred this pigeon species. They are kept relatively often in aviaries to this day. Due to their size, they need very spacious aviaries planted with bushes and trees. They need a frost-free shelter to overwinter.

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. Rösler, p. 179
  2. Rösler, p. 181
  3. Rösler, p. 180
  4. Münst, p. 57
  5. Rösler, p. 180

literature

  • David Burnie (Ed.): Vögel , Munich 2008, Dorling Kindersley, ISBN 978-3-8310-1272-5 .
  • 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 links

Commons : Wong pigeon ( Leucosarcia melanoleuca )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files