fbpx
Wikipedia

White-crowned pigeon

January 01, 1970

The white-crowned pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala) is a fruit and seed-eating species of bird in the dove and pigeon family Columbidae. It is found primarily in the Caribbean.

White-crowned pigeon
In Florida, USA

Vulnerable  (NatureServe)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Patagioenas
Species:
P. leucocephala
Binomial name
Patagioenas leucocephala
Synonyms

Columba leucocephala Linnaeus, 1758

John James Audubon painted these pigeons, including the watercolour painting in his work, Birds of America, published in the early 19th century.

Taxonomy edit

In the first half of the 18th century the white-crowned pigeon was described and illustrated by several naturalists including John Ray in 1713,[3] Hans Sloane in 1725[4] and Mark Catesby in 1731.[5] When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition, he placed the white-crowned pigeon with all the other pigeons in the genus Columba. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Columba leucocephala and cited the earlier authors.[6] The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek leukos meaning "white" and -kephalos meaning "-headed".[7] Although Linnaeus gave the location as North America, the type locality is taken to be the Bahamas following Catesby.[8] The species is now placed in the genus Patagioenas that was introduced by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach in 1853 with the white-crowned pigeon as the type species.[9][10] The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.[10]

Description edit

 
White-crowned pigeon drawing by Audubon

The white-crowned pigeon can measure 29–35 cm (11–14 in) in length, span 48–59 cm (19–23 in) across the wings, and weigh 150–301 g (5.3–10.6 oz). It is around the same size as the common rock pigeon, but weighs a bit less since it is generally less chunky and has a relatively longer and more square tail.[11] Adult birds' plumage varies from a slate gray to an almost-black color. Its iridescent collar-patch is notably only seen under good lighting, shining a barred white pattern with green. Their distinct crown-patch can vary in shade of color from a more bright white in males to a more gray-white in most females.[12] Juveniles can have a grayish-brown color for They have a white iris and a pale-tipped red bill. Juveniles are a less dark shade of grey, lack the nape pattern and white iris, and show only a few pale feathers on the crown. Their call is a loud, deep coo-cura-coo or coo-croo. This species is a member of a diverse clade of Patagioenas which vary much in appearance, but are united by their triple coos (except in the scaled pigeon).[13][14]

Distribution and habitat edit

It is a resident breeder mainly in the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica and Antigua. It breeds in smaller numbers in Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti), Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Anguilla and other Caribbean islands. It also breeds along the Caribbean coast of Central America. In the United States, it is found only in the Florida Keys, Everglades, and the southern tip of mainland Florida.[15] They will often spend the winter in the Caribbean islands. It has been spotted as far south as Fuerte Island, off of the northern coast of Colombia.[16]

The white-crowned pigeon primarily lives and breeds in nest colonies or individually in low lying, coastal, mangrove forests, and will travel inland to feed on the fruits and seeds of a wide variety of plants. In Florida, the white-crowned pigeon has historically been documented nesting exclusively on remote, tidally inundated mangrove islands in wildlife refuges. Recent observations have confirmed nesting on the southern tip of mainland Florida.[17]

With few exceptions, this species requires isolated offshore mangrove islets with limited disturbance for breeding.[15] These tidally inundated mangrove islands which provide some protection from predators such as raccoons. However, several instances of white-crowned pigeons nesting in heavily trafficked, urban areas, such as downtown Key West and Miami Florida, have recently been observed. This could be due to habitat loss as a result of hurricanes, and/or increased predation pressure in their historic nesting habitat.[17]

Threats and conservation edit

A main threat to this species is loss of habitat due to deforestation and habitat degradation. The white-crowned pigeon needs two distinct habitats: one for nesting and one for feeding. They typically breed in coastal red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle), which continue to be clear-cut for crops such as sugarcane. Agriculture and deforestation have become a problem for the species' feeding grounds, typically inland hardwood forests. The bird is very skittish, and is known to simply abandon its nest when it is encroached upon. In Florida, white-crowned pigeons often feed on the fruit of poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum). Unfortunately, this native plant causes severe human dermatitis and is often removed.

The white-crowned pigeon is also hunted, often illegally, throughout much of its range. Although, changes have been made to hunting regulations in the Bahamas, illegal hunting is still a problem for these pigeons.

Other threats to this species include (in Florida) a major cause of mortality is collision with man-made objects; and pesticide use.[15]

Like the extinct passenger pigeon, this species illustrates a very important principle of conservation biology: it is not always necessary to kill the last pair of a species to force it to extinction. These birds are "threatened by the slaughter of nesting birds on its Caribbean breeding grounds"; they may play a vitally important, yet not fully understood, role in the seed dispersal of West Indian flora.[18]

References edit

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2020). "Patagioenas leucocephala". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22690229A178283762. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22690229A178283762.en. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  2. ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  3. ^ Ray, John (1713). Synopsis methodica avium & piscium (in Latin). London: William Innys. p. 184.
  4. ^ Sloane, Hans (1725). A Voyage to the Islands Madera, Barbados, Nieves, S. Christophers and Jamaica : with the natural history of the herbs and trees, four-footed beasts, fishes, birds, insects, reptiles, &c. of the last of those islands. Vol. 2. London: Printed for the author. p. 303, Plate 261.
  5. ^ Catesby, Mark (1729–1732). The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands (in English and French). Vol. 1. London: W. Innys and R. Manby. p. 25, Plate 25.
  6. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii. p. 164.
  7. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 223. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  8. ^ Peters, James Lee, ed. (1937). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 3. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 62.
  9. ^ Reichenbach, Ludwig (1853). Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie (in German). Leipzig: Friedrich Hofmeister. p. xxv.
  10. ^ a b Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020). "Pigeons". IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  11. ^ Gibbs, David, Pigeons and Doves. A&C Black (2001), ISBN 978-1-873403-60-0
  12. ^ Dunn, Jonathan (2011). Birds of North America. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic. p. 264. ISBN 978-1-4262-0828-7.
  13. ^ Johnson, Kevin P.; de Kort, Selvino; Dinwoodey, Karen; Mateman, A. C.; ten Cate, Carel; Lessells, C. M. & Clayton, Dale H. (2001). "A molecular phylogeny of the dove genera Streptopelia and Columba" (PDF). 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.
  14. ^ Mahler, Bettina; Tubaro, Pablo L. (2001). "Relationship between song characters and morphology in New World pigeons". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 74 (4): 533–539. doi:10.1006/bijl.2001.0596.
  15. ^ a b c "White-crowned Pigeon". BirdLife International.
  16. ^ http://boletin.invemar.org.co:8085/ojs/index.php/boletin/article/view/231/227
  17. ^ a b Zambrano, Ricardo (2017). "New Records of WhiteCrowned Pigeon Nesting in Urban Key West and Miami, Florida" (PDF). Urban Naturalist. 13.
  18. ^ Ehrlich, Paul R.; Dobkin, David S.; Wheye, Darryl (1988). "The Passenger Pigeon". Stanford University. Retrieved March 3, 2012.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Patagioenas leucocephala.
  • BirdLife Species Factsheet
  • White-Crowned Pigeon Bird Sound

January 01, 1970
white, crowned, pigeon, white, crowned, pigeon, patagioenas, leucocephala, fruit, seed, eating, species, bird, dove, pigeon, family, columbidae, found, primarily, caribbean, florida, conservation, status, near, threatened, iucn, vulnerable, natureserve, scient. The white crowned pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala is a fruit and seed eating species of bird in the dove and pigeon family Columbidae It is found primarily in the Caribbean White crowned pigeon In Florida USA Conservation status Near Threatened IUCN 3 1 1 Vulnerable NatureServe 2 Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Aves Order Columbiformes Family Columbidae Genus Patagioenas Species P leucocephala Binomial name Patagioenas leucocephala Linnaeus 1758 Synonyms Columba leucocephala Linnaeus 1758 John James Audubon painted these pigeons including the watercolour painting in his work Birds of America published in the early 19th century Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Distribution and habitat 4 Threats and conservation 5 References 6 External linksTaxonomy editIn the first half of the 18th century the white crowned pigeon was described and illustrated by several naturalists including John Ray in 1713 3 Hans Sloane in 1725 4 and Mark Catesby in 1731 5 When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition he placed the white crowned pigeon with all the other pigeons in the genus Columba Linnaeus included a brief description coined the binomial name Columba leucocephala and cited the earlier authors 6 The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek leukos meaning white and kephalos meaning headed 7 Although Linnaeus gave the location as North America the type locality is taken to be the Bahamas following Catesby 8 The species is now placed in the genus Patagioenas that was introduced by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach in 1853 with the white crowned pigeon as the type species 9 10 The species is monotypic no subspecies are recognised 10 Description edit nbsp White crowned pigeon drawing by Audubon The white crowned pigeon can measure 29 35 cm 11 14 in in length span 48 59 cm 19 23 in across the wings and weigh 150 301 g 5 3 10 6 oz It is around the same size as the common rock pigeon but weighs a bit less since it is generally less chunky and has a relatively longer and more square tail 11 Adult birds plumage varies from a slate gray to an almost black color Its iridescent collar patch is notably only seen under good lighting shining a barred white pattern with green Their distinct crown patch can vary in shade of color from a more bright white in males to a more gray white in most females 12 Juveniles can have a grayish brown color for They have a white iris and a pale tipped red bill Juveniles are a less dark shade of grey lack the nape pattern and white iris and show only a few pale feathers on the crown Their call is a loud deep coo cura coo or coo croo This species is a member of a diverse clade of Patagioenas which vary much in appearance but are united by their triple coos except in the scaled pigeon 13 14 Distribution and habitat editIt is a resident breeder mainly in the Bahamas Cuba Jamaica and Antigua It breeds in smaller numbers in Hispaniola the Dominican Republic and Haiti Puerto Rico the Virgin Islands the Cayman Islands Anguilla and other Caribbean islands It also breeds along the Caribbean coast of Central America In the United States it is found only in the Florida Keys Everglades and the southern tip of mainland Florida 15 They will often spend the winter in the Caribbean islands It has been spotted as far south as Fuerte Island off of the northern coast of Colombia 16 The white crowned pigeon primarily lives and breeds in nest colonies or individually in low lying coastal mangrove forests and will travel inland to feed on the fruits and seeds of a wide variety of plants In Florida the white crowned pigeon has historically been documented nesting exclusively on remote tidally inundated mangrove islands in wildlife refuges Recent observations have confirmed nesting on the southern tip of mainland Florida 17 With few exceptions this species requires isolated offshore mangrove islets with limited disturbance for breeding 15 These tidally inundated mangrove islands which provide some protection from predators such as raccoons However several instances of white crowned pigeons nesting in heavily trafficked urban areas such as downtown Key West and Miami Florida have recently been observed This could be due to habitat loss as a result of hurricanes and or increased predation pressure in their historic nesting habitat 17 Threats and conservation editA main threat to this species is loss of habitat due to deforestation and habitat degradation The white crowned pigeon needs two distinct habitats one for nesting and one for feeding They typically breed in coastal red mangroves Rhizophora mangle which continue to be clear cut for crops such as sugarcane Agriculture and deforestation have become a problem for the species feeding grounds typically inland hardwood forests The bird is very skittish and is known to simply abandon its nest when it is encroached upon In Florida white crowned pigeons often feed on the fruit of poisonwood Metopium toxiferum Unfortunately this native plant causes severe human dermatitis and is often removed The white crowned pigeon is also hunted often illegally throughout much of its range Although changes have been made to hunting regulations in the Bahamas illegal hunting is still a problem for these pigeons Other threats to this species include in Florida a major cause of mortality is collision with man made objects and pesticide use 15 Like the extinct passenger pigeon this species illustrates a very important principle of conservation biology it is not always necessary to kill the last pair of a species to force it to extinction These birds are threatened by the slaughter of nesting birds on its Caribbean breeding grounds they may play a vitally important yet not fully understood role in the seed dispersal of West Indian flora 18 References edit BirdLife International 2020 Patagioenas leucocephala IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020 e T22690229A178283762 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2020 3 RLTS T22690229A178283762 en Retrieved November 19 2021 NatureServe Explorer 2 0 explorer natureserve org Retrieved November 17 2022 Ray John 1713 Synopsis methodica avium amp piscium in Latin London William Innys p 184 Sloane Hans 1725 A Voyage to the Islands Madera Barbados Nieves S Christophers and Jamaica with the natural history of the herbs and trees four footed beasts fishes birds insects reptiles amp c of the last of those islands Vol 2 London Printed for the author p 303 Plate 261 Catesby Mark 1729 1732 The Natural History of Carolina Florida and the Bahama Islands in English and French Vol 1 London W Innys and R Manby p 25 Plate 25 Linnaeus Carl 1758 Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae secundum classes ordines genera species cum characteribus differentiis synonymis locis in Latin Vol 1 10th ed Holmiae Laurentii Salvii p 164 Jobling James A 2010 The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names London Christopher Helm p 223 ISBN 978 1 4081 2501 4 Peters James Lee ed 1937 Check List of Birds of the World Vol 3 Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press p 62 Reichenbach Ludwig 1853 Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie in German Leipzig Friedrich Hofmeister p xxv a b Gill Frank Donsker David Rasmussen Pamela eds 2020 Pigeons IOC World Bird List Version 10 1 International Ornithologists Union Retrieved March 17 2020 Gibbs David Pigeons and Doves A amp C Black 2001 ISBN 978 1 873403 60 0 Dunn Jonathan 2011 Birds of North America Washington D C National Geographic p 264 ISBN 978 1 4262 0828 7 Johnson Kevin P de Kort Selvino Dinwoodey Karen Mateman A C ten Cate Carel Lessells C M amp Clayton Dale H 2001 A molecular phylogeny of the dove genera Streptopelia and Columba PDF 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 Mahler Bettina Tubaro Pablo L 2001 Relationship between song characters and morphology in New World pigeons Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 74 4 533 539 doi 10 1006 bijl 2001 0596 a b c White crowned Pigeon BirdLife International http boletin invemar org co 8085 ojs index php boletin article view 231 227 a b Zambrano Ricardo 2017 New Records of WhiteCrowned Pigeon Nesting in Urban Key West and Miami Florida PDF Urban Naturalist 13 Ehrlich Paul R Dobkin David S Wheye Darryl 1988 The Passenger Pigeon Stanford University Retrieved March 3 2012 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Patagioenas leucocephala BirdLife Species Factsheet White Crowned Pigeon Bird Sound Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title White crowned pigeon amp oldid 1221474008, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.