Overview
Adult males have mainly purple brown plumage, with a paler scaly appearance to the neck and underparts. The lower underparts are whitish edged with purple. The eyering, legs and bill are red, the latter having a white tip. The female is dull dark brown rather than purplish, and is slightly smaller than the male.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Bird
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Patagioenas
- Species
- speciosa
Habitat
Semi-open forest.
Diet
Forest fruits and seeds.
Behavior
It builds a stick platform nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Its flight is high, fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. It is usually very wary, since it is frequently hunted. The call is a series of deep cooing cro ku-ks that differs markedly from that of its relatives.This is a solitary bird which does not form flocks. The scaled pigeon has been recorded as successfully nesting on a fern (Pteridium aquilinum at ground level, and in the canopy of the tree fern Cyathea cyatheoides).
Hunting
More information is needed.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.