Sri Lanka Wood-pigeon
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| Sri Lanka Woodpigeon | ||||||||||||||
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| Columba torringtoni Bonaparte, 1854 |
The Sri Lanka Woodpigeon (Columba torringtoni) is a pigeon which is an endemic resident breeding bird in the mountains of Sri Lanka.
This species nests in damp evergeen woodlands in the central highlands, building a stick nest in a tree and laying a single white egg. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. Most of its food is vegetable. Normally silent it utters an owl-like hoo call in the breeding season.
The Sri Lanka Woodpigeon is 36 cm in length. Its upperparts and tail are dark grey, and the head and underparts are lilac, becoming paler on the belly. There is a black-and-white chessboard pattern on the nape.
This pigeon can be quite easily seen in the woods of the Horton Plains National Park.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2006). Columba torringtoni. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map, a brief justification of why this species is vulnerable, and the criteria used
- Birds of India by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, ISBN 0-691-04910-6
