The red-billed pigeon (''Patagioenas flavirostris'') is a relatively large, robust species of

pigeon Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. ...

. Its breeding range extends from southern

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, to

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

. It is primarily found throughout coastal and lowland areas of

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

and

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

. It belongs to a

clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...

of ''Patagioenas'' which generally lack iridescent display plumage, except some vestiges in the pale-vented pigeon.

Description

Red-billed pigeons have largely dark, slate-gray plumage with a more maroon, though sometimes described as purple, head, neck, and wing coverts. They have pale red eyes with an orange orbital ring, along with a red bill with a yellow tip. Noticeably, they don't have iridescent collar plumage. A blue-gray belly and tail coverts, as well as a less brown back, distinguish it from most other species., such as the Ruddy Pigeon and

Short-billed Pigeon The short-billed pigeon (''Patagioenas nigrirostris'')Johnson, Kevin P.; de Kort, Selvino; Dinwoodey, Karen, Mateman, A. C.; ten Cate, Carel; Lessells, C. M. & Clayton, Dale H. (2001): A molecular phylogeny of the dove genera ''Streptopelia'' and ...

. The only noticeable difference between males and females is that the females have a duller colored head and neck. Juveniles are often even more dull in color and have dark and dusky shoulders, as well as a more brown mantle and wings. Compared to other birds, they are a more mid-to-large sized bird, growing to be between 30 and 37 cm (12–15 in.) in length and a weight of . Red-billed pigeons have a very distinctive call, described to be a long, high-pitched call consisting of a ''coooo'' followed by three c''uk-c'-c'-coo'' notes. It follows an ascending sound. When taking off, the birds' wings create a noticeable clapping noise.

Distribution and habitat

Red-billed pigeons are common throughout dry forests in primarily coastal Mexico and Central America, most common in Rio Grande, though still an uncommon find during summertime. They can sometimes be found in Southern Texas, with a declining population. In almost all areas, they are rare to see during the winter. Red-tailed pigeons have four reported subspecies: * ''restricta'', W Mexico, from WC Sonora to Sinaloa (van Rossem 1930) * ''madrensis'', Tres Marías Island (off WC Mexico) (Nelson 1898) * ''flavirostris'', lower lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas through SE Sonora, Sierra Madre in Chihuahua, and San Luis Potosí S to Nicaragua and E Costa Rica (Wagler 1831) * ''minima,'' lowlands of Costa Rica about Gulf of Nicoya (Carriker 1910) Habitat can vary. Red-billed pigeons are most notably in dry woods and along riverside wetland areas.

References

External links

* * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1259255 red-billed pigeon Birds of Central America Birds of the Rio Grande valleys red-billed pigeon red-billed pigeon