- Red-billed Pigeon
-
Red-billed Pigeon 
Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae Genus: Patagioenas Species: P. flavirostris Binomial name Patagioenas flavirostris
(Wagler, 1831)Synonyms Columba flavirostris Wagler, 1831
The Red-billed Pigeon, Patagioenas flavirostris (see Johnson et al. 2001), is a relatively large pigeon which breeds from southern Texas, United States, and northwestern Mexico south to Costa Rica. It belongs to a clade of Patagioenas which generally lack iridescent display plumage, except some vestiges in the Pale-vented Pigeon.
It is found in open country with some trees, large clearings and cultivation in lowlands and middle altitudes to 2100 meters. It builds a rudimentary platform nest out of twigs in a tree about 4–25 metres (13–82 ft) above the ground, usually on a horizontal branch or on a palm crown, and lays one white egg.
The Red-billed Pigeon is mid or large-sized pigeon, at 30–37 cm (12–15 in) in length and a weight of 230–425 g (8.1–15.0 oz).[1] It is mainly wine-purple, becoming browner on the back, and with a grey tail, lower belly and flight feathers. The bill is white with a red base, and the legs and eyes are red. Juvenile birds are duller than adults and the plumage is brown-tinged.
It is normally seen alone or in pairs and rarely forms flocks. It feeds on the ground, seeking acorns, berries and buds.
The Red-billed Pigeon has a loud kuk c'c'coooo call that is given in rows; the initial short kuk is characteristic for this group of Patagioenas (Mahler & Tubaro 2001).
References
- ^ CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), ISBN 978-0849342585.
- BirdLife International (2004). Patagioenas flavirostris. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Johnson, Kevin P.; de Kort, Selvino; Dinwoodey, Karen, Mateman, A. C.; ten Cate, Carel; Lessells, C. M. & Clayton, Dale H. (2001): A molecular phylogeny of the dove genera Streptopelia and Columba. Auk 118(4): 874-887. PDF fulltext
- Mahler, Bettina & Tubaro, Pablo L. (2001): Relationship between song characters and morphology in New World pigeons. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 74(4): 533–539. doi:10.1006/bijl.2001.0596 (HTML abstract)
- Stiles, F. Gary & Skutch, Alexander Frank (1989): A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Comistock, Ithaca. ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
Categories:- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Patagioenas
- Birds of Central America
- Birds of Mexico
- Birds of the United States
- Birds of the U.S. Rio Grande Valleys
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
