Afep pigeon
Species of bird
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The afep pigeon (Columba unicincta), also known as the African woodpigeon or grey woodpigeon, is a member of the family Columbidae, native to the African tropical rainforest from Sierra Leone east to Uganda.
| Afep pigeon | |
|---|---|
| |
| Afep pigeon in Uganda | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Columbiformes |
| Family: | Columbidae |
| Genus: | Columba |
| Species: | C. unicincta |
| Binomial name | |
| Columba unicincta Cassin, 1860 | |
Taxonomy
The afep pigeon was described by the American ornithologist John Cassin in 1860 from a specimen collected in West Africa from the Ogooué River, Gabon. He coined the binomial name Columba unicincta.[2] The specific epithet combines the Latin uni- "one-" and cinctus "banded".[3] The English name "afep" is the word for a pigeon in the Bulu language of Cameroon.[4] The species is monotypic.[5]
Its genetic relationship to other species in the genus has not yet been tested; morphological traits suggest it belongs to the woodpigeon group comprising the common wood pigeon C. palumbus, Bolle's pigeon C. bollii, and Trocaz pigeon C. trocaz.[6]
Description
The afep pigeon is 35–36 cm (13.8–14.2 in) length and weighs between 356–490 g (12.6–17.3 oz).[6] The sexes are similar. It has a pale grey hind neck, pinkish-grey body, and dark grey wings; the tail has a broad white bar and a blackish tip. The throat and belly are white. The eyes and orbital rings are red.[6]
This pigeon has a loud call. It sounds like "doo doo doo" or "whu whu whu whu-WHU".[7]
Distribution
Afep pigeons are found in the African tropical rainforest, on either side of the Dahomey Gap. It is primarily a lowland species, but occurs locally up to 1,600 m altitude in Cameroon and Uganda.[6]
Behaviour
Diet
Afep pigeons mainly feed on fruit, berries, grain and seeds.[6][8] It has also been known to eat termites.[6]
Reproduction
They mainly breed in the second half of the dry season. The female lays a single white egg.[6] The egg is incubated for between 14 and 18 days, and both parents help raise the chick, which is fed with crop milk after hatching. A few days later, it will start eating small pieces of solid food. The chick fledges 20 to 25 days after they hatch.[7]
