The Nilgiri wood pigeon (''Columba elphinstonii'') is large

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 short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

found in the moist

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

forests and sholas of the Western Ghats in southwestern

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. They are mainly frugivorous and forage in the canopy of dense hill forests. They are best identified in the field by their large size, dark colours and the distinctive checkerboard pattern on their nape.

Description

Nilgiri wood pigeon (Columba elphinstonii)

This pigeon appears dark grey and a black and white patterned patch made of white tipped stiff feathers on the back of the neck is distinctive. The mantle is chestnut. The male has a paler grey crown while the female has a darker grey crown with a pale throat. The most confusable other species is the

mountain imperial pigeon The mountain imperial pigeon (''Ducula badia''), also known as the maroon-backed imperial pigeon or Hodgson's imperial pigeon, is a species of bird in the pigeon and dove family with a wide range in southeastern Asia. Taxonomy The Malabar i ...

but that species has paler underwing coverts. The feet and the base of the bill are red. The species is evolutionarily close to the Ceylon woodpigeon '' Columba torringtoni'' and the

ashy wood pigeon The ashy wood pigeon (''Columba pulchricollis'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae, found in temperate forests of southeastern Asia. Distribution The ashy wood pigeon has a wide range throughout Southeast Asia, able to be found in ...

'' Columba pulchricollis'' which form a

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English ter ...

that is basal within the Old World genus ''Columba''. The binomial commemorates Mountstuart Elphinstone (1779–1859).

Distribution

The species is mainly found along the Western Ghats and in the

Nilgiri Hills The Nilgiri Mountains form part of the Western Ghats in northwestern Tamil Nadu, Southern Karnataka, and eastern Kerala in India. They are located at the trijunction of three states and connect the Western Ghats with the Eastern Ghats. At le ...

. Although found mainly in the hills, it is sometimes seen at lower elevations within the Western Ghats. A few relict populations survive on the high elevations hills of the

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on a ...

such as the

Biligirirangan Hills The Biligirirangana Hills or Biligirirangan Hills (as referred to in biology and geology) is a hill range situated in south-western Karnataka, at its border with Tamil Nadu (Erode District) in South India. The area is called Biligiri Ranganatha ...

and Nandi Hills near

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

Behaviour and ecology

Nilgiri wood pigeons are usually seen singly, in pairs or in small groups, feeding almost entirely in the trees but sometimes descending to the ground to forage on fallen fruits. Although feeding mainly on fruits they have been recorded taking small snails and other invertebrates. The breeding season is March to July during which time they make a flimsy platform of twigs and lay a single white egg which is usually visible from below the nest. They feed on large fruits and may play an important role in dispersal of the seeds of many forest trees. Fruits of the family

Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016 ). They are dicotyledons, and occur m ...

are particularly favoured and most of their food is gathered by gleaning on the outer twigs of the middle and upper canopy. They have been recorded ingesting soil that may provide mineral nutrients or aid digestion. They often make movements within the forest according to the fruiting seasons of their favourite trees. Their call is a loud langur-like low-frequency hooting "who" followed by a series of deep "who-who-who" notes.

References

External links

Photos and videos
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1074450 Nilgiri wood pigeon Birds of South India Endemic fauna of the Western Ghats Nilgiri wood pigeon