Scaly-naped Pigeon

Scaly-naped Pigeon
Scaly-naped Pigeon in Christ Church, Barbados.
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Columbiformes
Family:	Columbidae
Genus:	Patagioenas
Species:	P. squamosa
Binomial name
Patagioenas squamosa Bonnaterre, 1792

The Scaly-naped Pigeon (Patagioenas squamosa), also known as the Red-necked Pigeon, is a bird belonging to the family Columbidae. The species occurs throughout the Caribbean.

Description

The scaly-naped pigeon is a large slate grey pigeon (14–16 in), with maroon coloured plumage around the neck. The plumage on the species' nape appears scaly, explaining the both the common, and scientific name of the species. There is a bare patch of skin which surrounds the birds red eyes; this patch tends to be reddish in males and more yellow in females. The legs and the base of the bill of the species are red, while the remainder of the bill is light coloured.

Distribution and habitat

The range of the Scaly-naped Pigeon includes both the Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles. The species tends to occur in rain forests, however it may also be found in drier lowland woodlands; the species generally shuns areas of human settlement.

Reproduction

The Scaly-naped Pigeon lays one to two eggs in a nest constructed mostly in trees.

Diet

The species feeds primarily on the fruits and seeds of trees.

See also

	Puerto Rico portal
	Biology portal
	Birds portal

• Fauna of Puerto Rico
• List of Puerto Rican birds
• List of Vieques birds

References

• International Union for Conservation of Nature (2006), BirdLife International 2004. Patagioenas squamosa, 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, http://www.iucnredlist.org, retrieved 30 April 2007 .
• Evans, P.G.H. (1990), Birds of the Eastern Caribbean, London: Macmillan Education Ltd .

External links

• Media related to Patagioenas squamosa at Wikimedia Commons
• Scaly-naped Pigeon videos, images and sounds on the Internet Bird Collection