Tooth pigeon

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Tooth pigeon
Tooth pigeons

Tooth pigeons

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Pigeon birds (Columbiformes)
Family : Pigeons (Columbidae)
Genre : Tooth pigeons
Type : Tooth pigeon
Scientific name of the  genus
Didunculus
Peale , 1848
Scientific name of the  species
Didunculus strigirostris
( Jardine , 1845)

The tooth Taube ( Didunculus strigirostris ) is a kind of birds and pigeons only recent representative of its class. It is a very under-explored species that is only found on two of the Samoa Islands . Possible close relatives of the species are the Indo-Pacific earth pigeons and the pheasant dove .

Appearance

The tooth pigeon reaches a body length of about 31 centimeters. It is about the size of a wood pigeon. It is a long-legged species. The legs are featherless. The plumage on the head, neck, upper coat and chest is iridescent blue-green. The posterior neck, the back, as well as the rump, the tail and the wings are maroon. The belly is black and green. The wings of the hand and the wing covers are black-gray.

What is particularly striking about this species is its large beak, which is curved like a hook at the tip. The nostrils are horizontal and narrow in the shape of a slit. Its shape is similar to the beaks of the extinct dronts .

Distribution area, habitat and behavior

The tooth pigeon is only found on the Samoa Islands Upolu and Savaiʻi . According to current knowledge, it occurs from sea level up to 1,300 meters above sea level. Little is known about their breeding behavior. In the 19th century it was considered a ground-dwelling species that mainly built its nests on the ground. However, these were often destroyed by pigs. According to observations made during the 20th century, the tooth pigeon breeds in trees and stands up both to sleep and to rest. Their feeding habits are different from those of other pigeons. It is able to open tough fruits of the genus Dysoxylum. In addition, she takes numerous other fleshy fruits. It is believed that the severe typhoons of 1990, 1991, 2004, 2012 and 2016 further decimated the remaining tooth pigeon populations, as many trees were defoliated and fruitless. Exact population estimates are also difficult because their reputation is similar to that of the Tonga pigeon . Toothed pigeons are also shot by hunters who also hunt other pigeons.

Others

A tooth pigeon is depicted on the back of the 20 Tala note.

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gerhard Rösler: The wild pigeons of the earth - free life, keeping and breeding , Verlag M. & H. Schaper, Alfeld-Hannover 1996, ISBN 3-7944-0184-0 , p. 318.
  2. ↑ a b Ulf Beichle & Sabine Baumann: The Birds of Samoa . Self-published. Natural History Bookshop London, 2016. ISBN 978-3-00-054003-5 .

literature

  • Ulf Beichle & Sabine Baumann: The Birds of Samoa . Self-published. Natural History Bookshop London, 2016. ISBN 978-3-00-054003-5 .
  • Gerhard Rösler: The wild pigeons of the earth - free life, keeping and breeding , Verlag M. & H. Schaper, Alfeld-Hannover 1996, ISBN 3-7944-0184-0 .
  • Alfred Brehm , The way of life of the Didunculus strigirostris , Journal for Ornithology, Volume 14, Issue VI, No. 84, 1866, pp. 388–389 ( online )

Web links

Commons : tooth pigeon ( Didunculus strigirostris )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files