ANATOMY OF BIRDS
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
MIGRATIONS OF BIRDS
CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS
LIZARD-TAILED BIRD
AMERICAN TOOTHED-BIRDS
THE OSTRICHES
THE RHEAS
EMEUS AND CASSOWARIES
THE TINAMOUS
THE KIWIS
THE PENGUINS
LOONS AND GREBES
ALBATROSSES & PETRELS
STORK-LIKE BIRDS
GOOSE-LIKE BIRDS
FALCON-LIKE BIRDS
FOWL-LIKE BIRDS
CRANE-LIKE BIRDS
PLOVER-LIKE BIRDS
CUCKOO-LIKE BIRDS
THE ROLLER-LIKE BIRDS
SPARROW-LIKE BIRDS
Birds and Birding's Guide to:
Watching THE PLOVER-LIKE BIRDS
THE GULLS AND THEIR ALLIES
THE TRUE PIGEONS
Green Pigeons
The present subfamily, as above stated, may be divided into three fairly well marked groups, in the first of which, the so-called Green Pigeons (Treronince), the bill is relatively thick and the general plumage green, relieved for the most part with a band of yellow on the wings.
The first that we may consider are the Wedge-tailed Green Pigeons (Sphenocercus), so called from the fact that the tail is wedge-shaped, with the central feathers usually more or less pointed. Eight species are now known, these ranging from northern India to Japan and through-Burma to Java.
The only one that we may mention, which may be taken as typical of the others, is the so-called Kokla (S. sphenurus), a bird about thirteen inches in length, in which the central tail-feathers are relatively short and not acuminate. It has the general greenish yellow plumage of the group and is distinguished from the nearest related forms by the fact that the under tail-coverts are of a uniform lighter gray instead of black.
According to Hume the Kokla breeds throughout the outer ranges of the Himalayas south of the first Snowy Range, at elevations of from 4000 to 7000 feet, coming in April and leaving by or before November, migrating often in immense numbers, to the eastward. The nest is a slight platform of sticks usually placed in high forest trees, and the eggs are the usual two and pure white. It feeds on fruits and berries, a continued supply of which it seeks in the warm countries whither it migrates.
In the next three genera the feathers of the tail are nearly even, or with the outer ones very little shorter than the others, while the third primary is always scooped out on the inner web. Of these the genus Vinago with eight species is entirely confined to Africa, ranging from Senegambia and Abyssinia to the Cape and also Madagascar. The various species may be known by the conspicuously yellow feathers of the legs, while in addition some of them have the forehead more or less naked.
previous bird species next bird species
Footer
Footer