Afep Pigeon
Columba unicincta
Large, pale gray pigeon. There is red bare skin around the eye, a reddish wash on the breast, and a pale gray tail band that is conspicuous in flight. Found in rainforest and gallery forest, singly or in small groups. Often seen in flight or perched conspicuously on dead trees. The call is a long series of descending “huuuoooo” calls. Separated from other forest pigeons by overall pale coloration and bold tail band.
Identification
The afep pigeon is between 35 and 36 cm (14 in) in length and weighs between 356 and 490 g (12.6 and 17.3 oz). The sexes are similar. It has a gray neck and body, with darker gray wings and tail. The throat and belly are white. The breast is buff-pink. The eyes and orbital rings are red.<p>This pigeon has a loud call. It sounds like "doo doo doo" or "whu whu whu whu-WHU".
Taxonomy
The afep pigeon was described by the American ornithologist John Cassin in 1860 from a specimen collected in West Africa from the Ogooué River, Gabon. He coined the binomial name Columba unicincta. The specific epithet combines the Latin uni- "one-" and cinctus "banded". The English name "afep" is the word for a pigeon in the Bulu language of Cameroon. The species is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Columba unicincta
- Authority
- Cassin, 1860
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Columba
Range and habitat
They are found in two disjunct areas of the African tropical rainforest. In particular, they can be found in Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana. Their range also includes south-eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Uganda and Angola.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Afep pigeons mainly feed on grain and seeds.<p>They mainly breed in the second half of the dry season. The female pigeon usually lays between 1 and 3 eggs. Both parents help raise the chicks. They are incubated for between 14 and 18 days. They are fed with crop milk after hatching. A few days later, they will start eating small pieces of solid food. They leave the nest 20 to 25 days after they hatch.
Conservation
They are classified by the IUCN as of least concern. Their population is stable and unfragmented, though the exact number of birds is unknown.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Overall rusty-colored, medium-sized flycatcher of humid tropical forest in the lowlands. Favors middle to upper levels inside forest, where sits still for long periods and sallies out for insects and other small critters. Call is a distinctive slow wolf-whistle—“whee-wheeu,” given at infrequent intervals and easily imitated. Note the overall rusty plumage, slender bill, and behavior. Can be confused with slightly larger Rufous Piha, which has a bushier face, paler throat, and a very different voice.
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