Scaled Pigeon
Encyclopedia
The Scaled Pigeon, Patagioenas speciosa (see Johnson et al., 2001), is a large New World
tropical dove
. It is a resident breeder from southern Mexico
south to western Ecuador
, southern Brazil
, northern Argentina
, and Trinidad
.
The Scaled Pigeon is fairly common in semi-open forest. It builds a stick platform nest
in a tree and lays two white egg
s.
Its flight is high, fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. It is usually very wary, since it is frequently hunted.
The Scaled Pigeon is 36 cm long and weighs normally about 290g . Adult males have mainly purple brown plumage, with a paler scaly appearance to the neck and underparts. The lower underparts are whitish edged with purple. The eyering, legs and bill are red, the latter having a white tip. The female is dull dark brown rather than purplish, and is slightly smaller than the male.
Scaled Pigeons feed mainly on forest fruits and seeds. The call is a series of deep cooing cro ku-ks that differs markedly from that of its relatives, such as the White-crowned Pigeon
(Mahler & Tubaro 2001). This is a solitary bird which does not form flocks.
The Scaled Pigeon has been recorded as successfully nesting on a fern (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn at ground level, and in the canopy of the tree fern (Cyathea cyatheoides Kramer). The Pearl Kite
visits nests of this species as a natural predator (Aguilar, 1996).
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
tropical dove
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
. It is a resident breeder from southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
south to western Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, southern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, northern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
.
The Scaled Pigeon is fairly common in semi-open forest. It builds a stick platform nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
in a tree and lays two white egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s.
Its flight is high, fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. It is usually very wary, since it is frequently hunted.
The Scaled Pigeon is 36 cm long and weighs normally about 290g . Adult males have mainly purple brown plumage, with a paler scaly appearance to the neck and underparts. The lower underparts are whitish edged with purple. The eyering, legs and bill are red, the latter having a white tip. The female is dull dark brown rather than purplish, and is slightly smaller than the male.
Scaled Pigeons feed mainly on forest fruits and seeds. The call is a series of deep cooing cro ku-ks that differs markedly from that of its relatives, such as the White-crowned Pigeon
White-crowned Pigeon
The White-crowned Pigeon is a species of bird in the family Columbidae . It inhabits the northern and central Caribbean islands and some places on the North and Central American mainland...
(Mahler & Tubaro 2001). This is a solitary bird which does not form flocks.
The Scaled Pigeon has been recorded as successfully nesting on a fern (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn at ground level, and in the canopy of the tree fern (Cyathea cyatheoides Kramer). The Pearl Kite
Pearl Kite
The Pearl Kite is a very small raptor found in open savanna habitat adjacent to deciduous woodland. It is the only member of the genus Gampsonyx...
visits nests of this species as a natural predator (Aguilar, 1996).