The Nilgiri wood pigeon (Columba elphinstonii) is large pigeon found in the moist deciduous forests and sholas of the Western Ghats in southwestern India. They are mainly frugivorous and forage in the canopy of dense hill forests. They are best identified in the field by their large size, dark colours and the distinctive checkerboard pattern on their nape.
Nilgiri wood pigeon photograph from Munnar, Kerala
This pigeon appears dark grey and a black and white patterned patch made of white tipped stiff feathers on the back of the neck is distinctive. The mantle is chestnut. The male has a paler grey crown while the female has a darker grey crown with a pale throat. The most confusable other species is the mountain imperial pigeon but that species has paler underwing coverts.[3] The feet and the base of the bill are red.[4][5]
Postage stamp in India depicting the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon.
Behaviour and ecologyedit
Nilgiri wood pigeons are usually seen singly, in pairs or in small groups, feeding almost entirely in the trees but sometimes descending to the ground to forage on fallen fruits. Although feeding mainly on fruits they have been recorded taking small snails and other invertebrates.[3] The breeding season is March to July during which time they make a flimsy platform of twigs and lay a single white egg which is usually visible from below the nest.[4] They feed on large fruits and may play an important role in dispersal of the seeds of many forest trees.[13] Fruits of the family Lauraceae are particularly favoured and most of their food is gathered by gleaning on the outer twigs of the middle and upper canopy.[14] They have been recorded ingesting soil that may provide mineral nutrients or aid digestion.[15] They often make movements within the forest according to the fruiting seasons of their favourite trees. Their call is a loud langur-like low-frequency hooting "who" followed by a series of deep "who-who-who" notes.[16]
Referencesedit
^BirdLife International (2017). "Columba elphinstonii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22690173A110095502. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22690173A110095502.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^Sykes WH (1832). "Catalogue of Birds of the Rasorial, Grallatorial and Natatorial Orders, observed in the Dukhun". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London (Part 2): 149–172.
^ abcRasmussen PC, Anderton JC (2005). Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Volume 2. Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions. p. 206.
^ abBaker, EC Stuart (1913). Indian pigeons and doves. Witherby and Co. pp. 164–167.
^Blanford WT (1898). Fauna of British India. Birds. Volume 4. Taylor and Francis, London. p. 36.
^Goodwin, D. (1959). "Taxonomy of the genus Columba". Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Zool. 6: 1–23. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.26842.
^Johnston, Richard F (1962). "The taxonomy of pigeons" (PDF). Condor. 64 (1): 69–74. doi:10.2307/1365442. JSTOR 1365442.
^Johnson KP; de Kort, Selvino; Dinwoodey, Karen; Mateman, A. C.; ten Cate; Carel; Lessells, C. M.; Clayton, Dale H. & Sheldon, F. (2001). "A molecular phylogeny of the dove genera Streptopelia and Columba" (PDF). The Auk. 118 (4): 874–887. doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2001)118[0874:AMPOTD]2.0.CO;2. hdl:20.500.11755/a92515bb-c1c6-4c0e-ae9a-849936c41ca2. S2CID 26083712.
^Daniel JC, Amladi SR (1974). "The Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Columba elphinstonii (Sykes) on Salsette Island, Bombay". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 71 (2): 304.
^Srinivasan U. & Prashanth N.S. (2006). (PDF). Indian Birds. 2 (4): 114–119. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 August 2011.
^Karthikeyan, S. (2000). "Circumstantial evidence of breeding of the Nilgiri wood pigeon Columba elphinstonii (Sykes) at Nandi hills, near Bangalore". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 97 (3): 429.
^Subramanya, S.; Prasad J.N. & Karthikeyan S. (1994). "Nilgiri Wood Pigeon Columba elphinstonii (Sykes) at Nandi Hills near Bangalore". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 91 (2): 319–320.
^Ganesh T & Priya Davidar (2001). "Dispersal modes of tree species in the wet forests of southern Western Ghats" (PDF). Current Science. 80 (3): 394–399.
^Somasundaram S, Vijayan L (2010). "Foraging ecology of the globally threatened Nilgiri Wood Pigeon (Columba elphinstonii) in the Western Ghats, India". Chinese Birds. 1 (1): 9–21. doi:10.5122/cbirds.2009.0017.
^Somasundaram S, Vijayan L (2011). "Soil Feeding Behaviour of Globally Threatened Nilgiri Woodpigeon Columba elphinstonii in the Western Ghats, South India" (PDF). Podoces. 6 (1): 92–94.
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December 15, 2023
nilgiri, wood, pigeon, columba, elphinstonii, large, pigeon, found, moist, deciduous, forests, sholas, western, ghats, southwestern, india, they, mainly, frugivorous, forage, canopy, dense, hill, forests, they, best, identified, field, their, large, size, dark. The Nilgiri wood pigeon Columba elphinstonii is large pigeon found in the moist deciduous forests and sholas of the Western Ghats in southwestern India They are mainly frugivorous and forage in the canopy of dense hill forests They are best identified in the field by their large size dark colours and the distinctive checkerboard pattern on their nape Nilgiri wood pigeonNilgiri wood pigeon Columba elphinstoniiConservation statusVulnerable IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder ColumbiformesFamily ColumbidaeGenus ColumbaSpecies C elphinstoniiBinomial nameColumba elphinstonii Sykes 1832 2 SynonymsAlsocomus elphinstoniiPtilinopus elphinstonii Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution 3 Behaviour and ecology 4 References 5 External linksDescription edit nbsp Nilgiri wood pigeon photograph from Munnar KeralaThis pigeon appears dark grey and a black and white patterned patch made of white tipped stiff feathers on the back of the neck is distinctive The mantle is chestnut The male has a paler grey crown while the female has a darker grey crown with a pale throat The most confusable other species is the mountain imperial pigeon but that species has paler underwing coverts 3 The feet and the base of the bill are red 4 5 The species is evolutionarily close to the Ceylon woodpigeon Columba torringtoni and the ashy wood pigeon Columba pulchricollis which form a clade that is basal within the Old World genus Columba 6 7 8 The binomial commemorates Mountstuart Elphinstone 1779 1859 Distribution editThe species is mainly found along the Western Ghats and in the Nilgiri Hills 3 Although found mainly in the hills it is sometimes seen at lower elevations within the Western Ghats 9 A few relict populations survive on the high elevations hills of the peninsula such as the Biligirirangan Hills 10 and Nandi Hills near Bangalore 11 12 nbsp Postage stamp in India depicting the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon Behaviour and ecology editNilgiri wood pigeons are usually seen singly in pairs or in small groups feeding almost entirely in the trees but sometimes descending to the ground to forage on fallen fruits Although feeding mainly on fruits they have been recorded taking small snails and other invertebrates 3 The breeding season is March to July during which time they make a flimsy platform of twigs and lay a single white egg which is usually visible from below the nest 4 They feed on large fruits and may play an important role in dispersal of the seeds of many forest trees 13 Fruits of the family Lauraceae are particularly favoured and most of their food is gathered by gleaning on the outer twigs of the middle and upper canopy 14 They have been recorded ingesting soil that may provide mineral nutrients or aid digestion 15 They often make movements within the forest according to the fruiting seasons of their favourite trees Their call is a loud langur like low frequency hooting who followed by a series of deep who who who notes 16 References edit BirdLife International 2017 Columba elphinstonii IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017 e T22690173A110095502 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2017 1 RLTS T22690173A110095502 en Retrieved 12 November 2021 Sykes WH 1832 Catalogue of Birds of the Rasorial Grallatorial and Natatorial Orders observed in the Dukhun Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London Part 2 149 172 a b c Rasmussen PC Anderton JC 2005 Birds of South Asia The Ripley Guide Volume 2 Smithsonian Institution amp Lynx Edicions p 206 a b Baker EC Stuart 1913 Indian pigeons and doves Witherby and Co pp 164 167 Blanford WT 1898 Fauna of British India Birds Volume 4 Taylor and Francis London p 36 Goodwin D 1959 Taxonomy of the genus Columba Bull Br Mus Nat Hist Zool 6 1 23 doi 10 5962 bhl part 26842 Johnston Richard F 1962 The taxonomy of pigeons PDF Condor 64 1 69 74 doi 10 2307 1365442 JSTOR 1365442 Johnson KP de Kort Selvino Dinwoodey Karen Mateman A C ten Cate Carel Lessells C M Clayton Dale H amp Sheldon F 2001 A molecular phylogeny of the dove genera Streptopelia and Columba PDF The Auk 118 4 874 887 doi 10 1642 0004 8038 2001 118 0874 AMPOTD 2 0 CO 2 hdl 20 500 11755 a92515bb c1c6 4c0e ae9a 849936c41ca2 S2CID 26083712 Daniel JC Amladi SR 1974 The Nilgiri Wood Pigeon Columba elphinstonii Sykes on Salsette Island Bombay J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 71 2 304 Srinivasan U amp Prashanth N S 2006 Preferential routes of bird dispersal to the Western Ghats in India An explanation for the avifaunal peculiarities of the Biligirirangan Hills PDF Indian Birds 2 4 114 119 Archived from the original PDF on 18 August 2011 Karthikeyan S 2000 Circumstantial evidence of breeding of the Nilgiri wood pigeon Columba elphinstonii Sykes at Nandi hills near Bangalore J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 97 3 429 Subramanya S Prasad J N amp Karthikeyan S 1994 Nilgiri Wood Pigeon Columba elphinstonii Sykes at Nandi Hills near Bangalore J Bombay Nat Hist Soc 91 2 319 320 Ganesh T amp Priya Davidar 2001 Dispersal modes of tree species in the wet forests of southern Western Ghats PDF Current Science 80 3 394 399 Somasundaram S Vijayan L 2010 Foraging ecology of the globally threatened Nilgiri Wood Pigeon Columba elphinstonii in the Western Ghats India Chinese Birds 1 1 9 21 doi 10 5122 cbirds 2009 0017 Somasundaram S Vijayan L 2011 Soil Feeding Behaviour of Globally Threatened Nilgiri Woodpigeon Columba elphinstonii in the Western Ghats South India PDF Podoces 6 1 92 94 Ali S Ripley SD 1981 Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan Volume 3 2nd ed Oxford University Press pp 132 133 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Columba elphinstonii Photos and videos Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nilgiri wood pigeon amp oldid 1170970397, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
