From Opus

Treron pompadora

Photo by atanumondal

Photo of a male of subspecies affinis. Shot in the Western Ghats.

Identification

The Pompadour Green Pigeon is a stocky, medium-sized pigeon, 28 centimeters in length. The head, tail, and underparts are bright green, with a grey crown to the head. The legs are red, and the bill is thin and greyish. The flight feathers and tail are blackish.

The male has a chestnut back, usually uniform, but with a green patch in the large Andaman Islands race, and an orange patch on the breast (absent in the Sri lankan form). The female has a bright green back and lacks the orange on the breast.

Distribution

The Pompadour Green Pigeon, also known as Grey-fronted Green Pigeon (Treron pompadora), is a pigeon which is a widespread, resident breeding bird in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to the Philippines. In India, they are found as disjunct populations in the Western Ghats, some parts of the Eastern Ghats, North-eastern India and in the Andaman Islands. There are a number of subspecies with mostly minor size and plumage differences.

Taxonomy

Habitat

This is a common species in rainforest and similar dense wet woodlands.

Behaviour

It builds a stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings that are characteristic of pigeons in general.

Pompadour Green Pigeons usually occur singly or in small groups. They eat the seeds and fruits of a wide variety of plants.

External Links

• View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages