Order: Columbiformes

Family: Columbidae

Scientific name: Treron affinis, Jerdon, 1840

IUCN Red list status- Least Concern

Did you know?

  1. Grey Fronted Green Pigeon is endemic to South India.

Description

Grey Fronted Green Pigeon is a small green pigeon, measuring 25 to 30 cm in length and weigh 250-350 gms. They are characterized by grey whitish forehead. The crown is greyish, the hinder neck, upper back and under parts are pale green. Male has maroon mantle with yellow in wings but female has dark geen mantle. The rump and the short tail are greenish. The down-curved short bill is pale greyish blue with a darker base. The irises are pale blue and legs are short and dark.

Diet

The diet of Grey Fronted Green Pigeon consists mainly of fruits. Wild fruits, berries, figs and drupes are their primary food. They usually forage on the branches of fruiting trees. They are also known to feed on termites. The forage time is mainly day and it is done solitarily or in small groups.

Habitat

The Grey Fronted Green Pigeon species have high forest dependence. The natural ecosystems and habitats of these green pigeon species include primary and secondary evergreen forests and moist deciduous forests. They are endemic to South India and are distributed in the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats through the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Reproductive Behaviour

The breeding season of Grey Fronted Green Pigeon is during December to March. They are generally monogamous. The nest is a flimsy platform of sticks and twigs built on the branches of trees which are built by both birds. Normally two white eggs. The incubation of 12-14 days is shared by both parents. The young ones are initially fed with regurgitated crop-milk by parents.

Call

Call is a series of fluty whistling “keak…kee…oiee”

Related Species and Sub Species

  • Orange Breasted Green Pigeon(Treron bicincta)
  • Yellow Legged Green Pigeon(Treron phoenicoptera)

Migratory Behaviour

Non Migratory, Common Resident