Pin-tailed Green-Pigeon
Treron apicauda
Like other green pigeons, usually seen flying overhead or perched in a fruiting tree. Green overall with a neon-blue bill and bright red feet. Sexes are similar, but males have a faint orange wash on the chest that females lack. Very long, sharp-tipped tail is diagnostic and evident both when in flight and when perched. Usually seen in pairs or small to medium-sized flocks in hill forest. Generally quiet; occasionally gives a high fluty “doo!” followed by two to three deeper coos.
Identification
The pin-tailed green pigeon is a medium sized dove, with an average weight of 185-255 grams. Males are 32-36 cm and females are typically 28 cm. It is yellow-green overall, with darker green wing-coverts and scapulars and black outer secondaries and primaries. The males have a golden breast with pinkish hues. The central tail feathers are a bluish-gray and the undertail-coverts a chestnut color. The orbital ring is blue, as is the bill, with a lighter green or yellow tip. The legs and feet are a bright reddish-pink. The females are a duller yellow, with much shorter central tail feathers and dull undertail-coverts. <p>The song is described as a soft whistling ku-koo, which is usually paired. The pin-tailed green pigeon also lets out a high pitched doo! call. While in flight, feathers produce a whirring sound.
Taxonomy
The pin-tailed green pigeon was first described by Edward Blyth in 1846. The species' generic name comes from the Greek trērōn (timid, shy dove), while the specific epithet apicauda is derived from a combination of the Latin apicis (apex or point)[citation needed] and the Latin cauda (tail). The pin-tailed green pigeon was placed in the genus Sphenerus in the past. <p>There are three recognized subspecies of the pin-tailed green pigeon.
- Scientific name
- Treron apicauda
- Authority
- Blyth, 1846
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Treron
Range and habitat
The pin-tailed green pigeon is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. It inhabits secondary growth and forest, including foothill forests, subtropical and tropical dry forest, and evergreen rainforest. It typically inhabits areas 0 to 1800 meters in elevation. <p>Pin-tailed green pigeons are resident birds in some parts of their range, and nomadic in other parts in response to food resources. In central Vietnam, they will descend to lower elevations during the dry season, which is when many trees are fruiting.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
The pin-tailed green pigeon is frugivorous, feeding mainly on fruits and berries in an acrobatic fashion. The species is gregarious, forming feeding flocks varying from 10-30 birds. Flocks have been observed descending to the ground to visit salt licks. <p>Nesting has been observed in April, May, and June in the Himalayan foothills. In other parts of Southeast Asia, pin-tailed green pigeons have been observed breeding year round. The female lays two white eggs in a platformed twig nest, usually 5-6 meters off the ground. Nests have been observed in bamboo thickets, trees, and shrubs. Both parents incubate and feed the young. Individuals have a generational length of approximately 4.2 years.
Conservation
The pin-tailed green pigeon was assessed by the IUCN in 2018 and was listed as a species of least concern, though the population trend is decreasing. Species is thought to be common across much of its range, though sightings are limited. Scarce in Thailand, and reported as very rare in Bangladesh.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Gray-hooded Parakeet
Psilopsiagon aymara
Small, gregarious parakeet of the high Andes from central Argentina to Lake Titicaca. Tends to forage in small groups in shorter shrubs and bushes, including Polylepis. Often near roadsides, settlements and roadsides. Prefers hillsides, and is absent from most flat areas of the altiplano. From Mountain Parakeet by white throat, gray cap, and longer tail. Calls a quiet, three part “squi-da-dit” given quickly and often in flight.
Lesser Lophorina
Lophorina minor
A fairly large bird of mid-montane forest. Male, mainly black plumage with 2 remarkable erectile fans which are lifted up over the head during its display. Metallic, blue-green, trapezium-shaped breast shield and patches above the eyes. Female has a dark brown back, barred underparts and a black head. Male is unmistakable. Female distinguished from Lawes’s Parotia female by slightly smaller size and black eye, and from female Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise by its black bill. The male’s yellow-green interior of the mouth is visible whilst it gives its piercing nasal screech.
Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush
Pterorhinus treacheri
Attractive and often confiding laughingthrush, often found around lodges and trails. Endemic to Borneo’s highlands, where it can be one of the most frequently-encountered birds in montane forest and forest edge. Note dark chestnut head, gray body, bright orange bill, and bright silvery wing stripe. Pale crescent behind eye gives it a cartoonishly large-eyed appearance. Hops on the ground and along branches, often with small mammals and other birds, particularly Sunda Laughingthrush. Song, often heard at dawn, is a series of repetitive, rising, mellow warbles. Calls include a harsh buzzing “churrrrr” and rattling notes.
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