African green-pigeon

Treron calvus

(Photo from Cousin Pascal)

Common name:
African green-pigeon (en); pombo-verde-africano (pt); columbar à front nu (fr); vinago africano (es); nacktgesicht-grüntaube (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae

Range:
This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan and south to South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 23-30 cm long. The males tend to be larger, weighing 160-285 g while the females weigh 130-225 g.

Habitat:
The African green-pigeon is found in a wide range of habitats, including moist tropical forests in both lowlands and mountainous areas, riparian forests, moist scrublands, dry savannas, rural gardens and arable land.

Diet:
They feed on various fruits and berries, especially wild figs, but also saffrons, jacket plum, buffalo thorn, water berry, jackalberry and exotic species such as loquats and mulberries. Sometimes they also eat carrion.

Breeding:
These birds can breed all year round, but mostly during summer. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a weak platform made of sticks, placed in a fork in a tree. The female lays 1-2 eggs which are incubated for 13-14 days. The chicks fledge about 12 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range is reported to be frequent to locally abundant. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.