- Treron calva
Treron calvus
Identification
25–30 cm (9¾-11¾ in)
- Grey-green to yellowish-green upperparts
- Yellow thighs
- Mauve patches on the top of the wing
- White-tipped red bill
- Red feet
Variations
Both subspecies salvadorii and gibberifrons have large red ceres; however, the one belonging to gibberifrons, as well as being even larger, is also brighter.
Distribution
Widespread in sub-Saharan Africa
Western Africa: Mauritania, Senegambia, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe
South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland
African Islands: Gulf of Guinea Islands, Bioko (Fernando Po), Sao Tome, Principe
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Treron calvus has 16 subspecies:[1]
- T. c. nudirostris
- Senegal to Gambia and Guinea-Bissau
- T. c. sharpei
- Sierra Leone to southern Nigeria and northern Cameroon
- T. c. calvus
- T. c. poensis
- T. c. virescens:
- Principe Island (Gulf of Guinea)
- T. c. uellensis
- T. c. brevicera
- T. c. salvadorii
- T. c. gibberifrons:
- T. c. wakefieldii
- T. c. orientalis
- Southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique
- T. c. schalowi
- T. c. ansorgei
- Western Angola
- T. c. vylderi
- North-western Namibia
- T. c. delalandii
- Coastal Kenya to south-eastern South Africa
- T. c. granti
The last two subspecies are sometimes separated as Grey-breasted Green-Pigeon
Subspecies damarensis and chobiensis are no longer recognised and have been included in T. c. schalowi. Additionally, subspecies granviki is now subsumed into T. c. gibberifrons.
Habitat
Forests, bushveld, savanna; always associated with fruiting trees, especially figs.
Behaviour
Arboreal.
Diet
The diet consists almost entirely of fruit and berries, particularly figs.
Breeding
The nest is a frail platform of coarse twigs and leaves. 1-2 eggs are laid and incubated for 13 days.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Africa Bird Guide
- BF Member observations
- Baptista, L.F., Trail, P.W., Horblit, H.M., Kirwan, G.M. & Garcia, E.F.J. (2018). African Green-pigeon (Treron calvus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/54300 on 13 December 2018).
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) African Green Pigeon. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 16 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/African_Green_Pigeon