Orange-breasted green pigeon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Orange-breasted green pigeon |
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_male.jpg) |
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| male T. b. leggei Yala National Park, Sri Lanka |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Treron
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| Species: |
bicinctus
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| Synonyms | |
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Treron bicincta |
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The orange-breasted green pigeon (Treron bicinctus) is a beautiful bird that belongs to the pigeon family. You can find these colorful pigeons in warm, tropical parts of Asia. They live south of the Himalaya mountains, across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
Like other green pigeons, they mostly eat small fruits. They often move slowly and quietly through trees, either alone, in pairs, or in small groups, looking for food. The male birds are especially colorful. They have a blue-grey neck, a yellowish-green head, and a bronze-colored back. Their most striking feature is a pinkish band on their upper chest, with a wider orange band just below it. Female orange-breasted green pigeons have a bright yellow chest.
How to Spot an Orange-Breasted Green Pigeon
Orange-breasted green pigeons look a lot like other green pigeons, such as the yellow-footed green pigeon. However, a key difference is that they do not have any maroon color on their wings.
Here's how to tell them apart:
- Males: The male pigeon does not have any grey on its head. It has a thin lilac (light purple) band on its upper chest. Below this, there is a wider orange band. The feathers under its tail are cinnamon-colored, with the longer ones having yellow edges. Their tail is grey on top with a wide dark band near the end.
- Females: Female pigeons are yellow underneath and do not have the orange or lilac bands. The feathers under their tail are a duller cinnamon color, often with greenish spots. The central feathers of their upper tail are slaty grey.
The pigeons found in Sri Lanka are a bit smaller in size, but they look very similar to those in other areas.
Where Do These Pigeons Live?
This pigeon species prefers to live in forests. You can find them in many places, from the Terai region and lower Himalayas (up to about 1,500 meters or 4,900 feet high). They are also common in the Western and Eastern Ghats in India, and in forests near the coast in Sri Lanka.
Beyond India and Sri Lanka, they live in countries like Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Vietnam, Java, and Hainan Island. Sometimes, they might travel to new places, as they have been seen in areas like Sind.
Life and Habits of the Orange-Breasted Green Pigeon
Orange-breasted green pigeons usually live alone or in small groups. When they fly, they are fast and direct. Their wings beat regularly with an occasional sharp flick, which is typical for most pigeons.
What They Eat: These pigeons mainly eat seeds and fruits from many different plants. They often join other fruit-eating birds at trees that are full of figs. They find their food by slowly walking along branches. Interestingly, they are known to eat the fruits of the Strychnos nux-vomica tree, which are poisonous to many mammals. Sometimes, you might even see them on the ground looking for food.
Their Call: Their call is a soft, low series of whistling sounds that change pitch.
Reproduction and Life Cycle: During the breeding season, male pigeons sometimes fight each other. They might slap each other with their wings and peck. In India, the breeding season is from March to September, but mostly before June. In Sri Lanka, they breed mainly from December to May.
The nest is usually a simple, flimsy platform made of a few twigs. The female pigeon lays two white eggs in this nest. Both the male and female pigeons take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm. The eggs usually hatch in about 12 to 14 days.
