Scaled Pigeon
Patagionenas speciosa
Paloma Escamada
Song
Scaled Pigeon
The Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa). Read in Spanish
Appearance: The Scaled Pigeon is a medium-sized pigeon with a plain, gray-brown body coloration. It features scaled patterns on its neck and chest, which give it its name. The eyes are typically orange or reddish. The species displays sexual dimorphism, with males and females looking similar.
Habitat: Scaled Pigeons are commonly found in a range of habitats, including forests, woodlands, savannas, and agricultural areas. They inhabit various regions, including forests, edges of cultivated fields, and open woodlands.
Behavior: Scaled Pigeons are typically shy and elusive birds, often seen foraging quietly on the ground or in trees. They are known to roost and nest in trees, where they build simple nests using twigs and leaves. These pigeons are primarily ground feeders, consuming seeds, fruits, and occasionally insects.
Breeding: The breeding season for Scaled Pigeons varies depending on the location but often coincides with the availability of food resources. They lay one or two eggs in their nests, and both parents take turns to incubate the eggs and care for the young. The chicks are fed crop milk produced by the parents until they are old enough to feed on their own.
Conservation Status: The conservation status of the Scaled Pigeon in Colombia is classified as of least concern on the IUCN Red List.
Distribution
The Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa) This species typically inhabits subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, highland areas, and forested regions. Colombia:
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta: The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a mountain range located in northern Colombia near the Caribbean coast, is another important region for the Scaled Pigeon. The diverse ecosystems and altitude gradients in this area provide suitable conditions for this species.
Eastern Plains (Los Llanos): Parts of the Eastern Plains or Los Llanos region in Colombia could also serve as habitat for the Scaled Pigeon, especially in areas with forested patches or gallery forests along rivers and wetlands.
Chocó: The Chocó region on the Pacific coast of Colombia, known for its rich biodiversity and high levels of rainfall, could potentially host populations of the Scaled Pigeon within its tropical rainforests and mountainous terrain.
Northern Andes: The Northern Andes region in Colombia, including areas such as Antioquia and Norte de Santander, may also support populations of the Scaled Pigeon in suitable forested habitats and mountainous landscapes.
Taxonomy
The Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa)
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves (Birds)
- Order: Columbiformes
- Family: Columbidae
- Genus: Patagioenas
- Species: Patagioenas speciosa
Vocalization
The Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa)
- Advertising Calls: The Scaled Pigeon is known to produce a series of hoots, coos, and soft whistles as part of its advertising calls. These calls are often deep, resonant, and melodious, ranging from low cooing sounds to more rhythmic and repetitive hooting patterns. These vocalizations are used to attract mates, establish territories, and maintain social bonds within the flock.
- Contact Calls: Scaled Pigeons use a variety of softer and more gentle cooing sounds as contact calls to communicate with other group members or mates. These contact calls help in coordinating movements, maintaining group cohesion, and reinforcing social connections within the flock.
- Nesting Calls: During the breeding season, Scaled Pigeons may exhibit specific vocalizations associated with courtship displays and nesting activities. These calls can be more elaborate, expressive, and synchronized with visual behaviors such as bowing, preening, or wing-fluttering to attract a mate or reinforce pair bonds.
- Alarm Calls: When sensing danger or perceiving threats, Scaled Pigeons may emit sharp, rapid, and repetitive alarm calls that are higher-pitched and more urgent than their usual vocalizations. These alarm calls serve to alert other pigeons in the vicinity, signal potential dangers, and prompt a coordinated response to perceived threats.
- Flight Calls: In flight, Scaled Pigeons may produce whistling or fluttering sounds with their wingbeats, especially during takeoff, landing, or aerial maneuvers. These flight calls help maintain group cohesion, coordinate movements in flight, and signal changes in direction or speed within the flock.
