Dusky pigeon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dusky pigeon |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Patagioenas
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| Species: |
goodsoni
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| Synonyms | |
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Columba goodsoni Hartert, 1902 |
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The dusky pigeon (Patagioenas goodsoni) is a cool bird that lives in the forests of South America. It's a type of pigeon, just like the ones you might see in a park, but it lives in wild rainforests. You can find these pigeons in countries like Colombia and Ecuador.
Contents
About the Dusky Pigeon Family
Scientists like to group animals that are similar. This helps them understand how different species are related. The dusky pigeon is part of a bird family called Columbidae, which includes all pigeons and doves.
It's a close relative of other pigeons, like the ruddy pigeon and the short-billed pigeon. Sometimes, scientists even put them in a special smaller group called Oenoenas. The dusky pigeon is a "monotypic" species, which means it doesn't have any different subspecies or types.
What Does It Look Like?
The dusky pigeon is about 24 cm (9.4 in) long, which is about the length of a ruler. Its head, throat, and chest are usually gray or a purplish-gray color. The back of its neck, called the nape, is gray with a shiny purple look.
Its shoulders, back, and rump (the area above its tail) are olive-brown or a dark purplish-brown. The wings and tail have a bronzy-gray color, sometimes with a purple shine. Its eyes can be different shades of red, which makes them stand out!
Where Does It Live?
The dusky pigeon lives in a special area called the Chocó Biogeographic Region. This region stretches from Colombia, near the border with Panama, all the way south to the Río Palenque in northwestern Ecuador.
These pigeons love to live in rainforests. They mostly stay in low-lying areas, but you can sometimes find them higher up, even as high as 1,500 m (4,900 ft) (about 4,900 feet) above sea level.
How Does It Behave?
What Does It Eat?
Scientists don't know much yet about what the dusky pigeon eats or how it finds its food. More research is needed to learn about its diet!
How Does It Breed?
We also don't have a lot of information about how and when dusky pigeons have their babies. Scientists have found some pigeons ready to breed between January and May, and also in August. But there's still much to learn about their breeding habits.
What Sounds Does It Make?
The dusky pigeon has a unique song. It's a repeated phrase of three rather high-pitched coos that sound like whoah..pup..pup. When it makes a call, it sounds like a purring, drawn-out rrrrow.
Is It Safe?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has looked at the dusky pigeon and decided it is a species of "Least Concern." This means that, for now, it's not considered to be in danger of disappearing.
Even though it lives in a specific area, it's quite common in the places where it's found. However, we still don't know much about its life. A big worry for these pigeons is deforestation, which is when forests are cut down. This could become a serious threat to them in the future.
See also
In Spanish: Paloma oscura para niños
