Scaly-naped Pigeon
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| Scaly-naped Pigeon | ||||||||||||||
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| 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.
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[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Reproduction
The Scaly-naped Pigeon lays one to two eggs in a nest constructed mostly in trees.
[edit] Diet
The species feeds primarily on the fruits and seeds of trees.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International 2004. Columba livia. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 30 April 2007.
- Evans, P.G.H. (1990). Birds of the Eastern Caribbean. Macmillan Education Ltd, London.
