Red-billed pigeon

Patagioenas flavirostris

Photo by Michael Woodruff (Wikipedia)

Common name:

red-billed-pigeon (en); pombo-de-bico-vermelho (pt); pigeon à bec rouge (fr); paloma piquirroja (es); rotschnabeltaube (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Columbiformes

Family Columbidae

Range:

The red-billed pigeon is found from southern Texas, United States, and north-western Mexico south to Costa Rica.

Size:

This species is 33-36 cm long and has a wingspan of 58-61 cm. They weigh 230 g.

Habitat:

They are found in river woodlands and tall brush, namely undisturbed native woods, of hackberry, mesquite, huisache, ebony, and other trees. They are also found in dry woodlands of various types, generally avoiding more humid regions of rain forest. They are present from the lowlands up to an altitude of 2.100 m.

Diet:

Red-billed pigeons mostly eat wild fruits and berries, including those of hackberry, mistletoe, wild fig, but also a wide range of seeds and nuts.

Breeding:

These birds can breed all year round. The nest is a flimsy platform of sticks, lined with grasses and stems, placed in an horizontal fork 8-30 m above the ground. There the female lays 1-2 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 18-20 days. The chicks are fed crop milk and solid foods by both parents, fledging 22-25 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a large breeding range and a global population of 2 million individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and unsustainable levels of exploitation