Red-billed Pigeon

Patagioenas flavirostrisOrder: COLUMBIFORMES Family: Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae)

Codes: Common Name: RBPI Scientific Name: PATFLA ITIS Taxonomic No.: 676900

Breeding Location:

Forest

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Glossy white

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

18 - 20

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Twigs lined with grass, stems, and rootlets.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

General

Red-billed Pigeon: Large dove with dull purple head and breast, olive-brown back, and blue-gray belly. Wings are blue-gray with olive-brown tertials. Tail is black. Feet and legs are red. Eyes are orange or red with bright red eyelids. Bill is red with yellow tip. Sexes are similar.

Range and Habitat

Red-billed Pigeon: Breeds from south Sonora, Mexico south in lowlands along the Pacific slope to Chiapas, and the lower Rio Grande Valley of south Texas and Mexico from eastern Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, south along the Atlantic slope to the Yucatan states. Populations of northeastern Mexico and Texas move south during non-breeding season. Preferred habitat includes tropical deciduous forests.

Breeding and Nesting

Red-billed Pigeon: One, rarely two, glossy white eggs are laid on a flimsy platform of twigs lined with grass, stems, and rootlets. Nest is built in a tree, shrub, or vine 8 to 30 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 18 to 20 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Red-billed Pigeon: Forages in flocks for seeds, nuts, figs, and other fruits; feeds on the ground or in trees.

Vocalization

Red-billed Pigeon: Makes an introductory coo followed by pattern repeated 2 to 5 times "Cooooooo! Up, cup-a-coo! Up, cup-a-coo! Up, cup-a-coo".

Similar Species

Red-billed Pigeon: Rock Pigeon is shorter-tailed and stockier, usually has white rump patch, and has a black-tipped, yellow bill.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Red-billed Pigeon

● Song: "Cooooooo! Up, cup-a-coo! Up, cup-a-coo! Up, cup-a-coo!"

● Foraging & Feeding: Red-billed Pigeon: Forages in flocks for seeds, nuts, figs, and other fruits; feeds on the ground or in trees.

● Breeding & nesting: Red-billed Pigeon: One, rarely two, glossy white eggs are laid on a flimsy platform of twigs lined with grass, stems, and rootlets. Nest is built in a tree, shrub, or vine 8 to 30 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 18 to 20 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Red-billed Pigeon: Rock Pigeon is shorter-tailed and stockier, usually has white rump patch, and has a black-tipped, yellow bill.

Flight Pattern

Swift, strong, slightly floppy direct flight

Red-billed Pigeon Breeding Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Red-billed Pigeon: Breeds from south Sonora, Mexico south in lowlands along the Pacific slope to Chiapas, and the lower Rio Grande Valley of south Texas and Mexico from eastern Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, south along the Atlantic slope to the Yucatan states. Populations of northeastern Mexico and Texas move south during non-breeding season. Preferred habitat includes tropical deciduous forests.

^BreedingMonogamous

^Population

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight11.4 Ounces

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America