Speckled Pigeon (Columba guinea) - a photo on Flickriver

            Cape Town
South Africa

Photographed on one of the streets in Cape Town. 

The speckled pigeon (Columba guinea), or (African) rock pigeon, is a pigeon that is a resident breeding bird in much of Africa south of the Sahara. It is a common and widespread species in open habitats over much of its range, although there are sizable gaps in its distribution. It is sometimes referred to as a Guinea Pigeon due to its similar coloring to some species of guineafowl.

This is a large pigeon at 41 cm in length. Its back and wings are rufous, the latter heavily speckled with white spots. The rest of the upperparts and underparts are blue-grey, and the head is grey with red patches around the eye. The neck is brownish, streaked with white, and the legs are red. Sexes are similar, but immatures are browner than adults and lack the red eye patches. The call is a loud doo-doo-doo.

The speckled pigeon is frequently seen around human habitation and cultivation. Most of its food is vegetable, and it gathers in large numbers where grain or groundnuts are available. This species builds a large stick nest on protected rocky outcrops and in urban areas often atop covered pergola pillars and on flat roofs under deep eaves and lays two white eggs. Its flight is quick, with regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings that are characteristic of pigeons in general. Wikipedia

Taken in: South Africa / Western Cape / Cape Town / Paardeneiland (show map)

Taken on: September 14, 2011

Tags:

South Africa2011

Cape Town

Speckled Pigeon

a/k/a African Rock Pigeon

Columba guinea

Pigeon

Resident Breeding Bird

Common

Widespread

Open Habitats

Large Pigeon

Loud Call

Sexes Similar

Human Habitation

Cultivation

Vegetable

Grain

Groundnuts

Large Stick Nest

Rocky Outcrops

Pergola Pillars

Under Deep Eaves

Quick Flight

Sue Roehl

Pentax K7

100-300 mm Lens

Handheld

coth5

NGC « less

Sets appears in: • South Africa, Zimbabwe Sept. 2011 - Part 2

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