• Source: Afep pigeon

The afep pigeon (Columba unicincta), also known as the African wood-pigeon or gray wood-pigeon, is a member of the family Columbidae, native to the African tropical rainforest.




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.




Description


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.
This pigeon has a loud call. It sounds like "doo doo doo" or "whu whu whu whu-WHU".




Distribution


They are found in the African tropical rainforest, on either side of the Dahomey Gap.




Behavior






= Diet

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Afep pigeons mainly feed on grain and seeds.




= Reproduction

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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.




References






External links


Xeno-canto: Audio recordings of the Afep pigeon
Afep Pigeon Breed Guide - Pigeonpedia
Photos, videos and observations at Cornell Lab of Ornithologys Birds of the World
about an Afep pigeon

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Afep pigeon
• Bolle's pigeon
• Laurel pigeon
• Columba (genus)
• List of birds by common name
• Trocaz pigeon
• List of wild pigeon species
• Azores wood pigeon
• Afer
• List of birds of Uganda