A rare pink dove bird today belongs to the endangered species of the pigeon family, and also continues to be one of the most unusual representatives of its species.
Pink dove
Area of residence
You can meet a pink pigeon only in a limited area. It lives exclusively on the southern side of the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, and on the eastern coast of the coral island of Egret, in the vicinity of many rare species of birds and mammals hidden from human eyes. The pink pigeon was artificially moved to the last aforementioned place of residence with the help of humans in order to preserve the species.
Historical background indicates Reunion Island among the early habitats of the pink dove.
Among the natural natural places of residence that the pink pigeon chooses for itself are evergreen forest areas located in mountainous areas, preserved in small quantities. When settling in such mountainous forest areas, the described winged ones predominantly prefer dense liana thickets, where there is enough fresh greenery.
External features
In size, a pink pigeon reaches a length of 38 cm, while it does not weigh as much as an ordinary city bird of this family - from 0.32 to 0.35 kg. In addition to the main characteristics of the sizes, the description of the pink pigeon includes its distinctive features:
- medium length cervical spine and round head of small size,
- dark gray or dark brown wings, while the color of the primary feathering is slightly darker than that of the rest,
- the tail section is folded in the shape of a fan, the tail is colored brown with a red tint,
- the beak is rather strong, slightly thickens towards the end, light red at the base, the tip is painted in pale pink,
- four-toed (one short, three long toes) paws of a light red tone,
- the eye iris is yellow dark, the ring around the eye is red.
Still, the main distinguishing feature of a pink pigeon, thanks to which the bird got its name, is the main plumage of a pale shade.
If you find photos showing a pink pigeon, then most of them will contain pictures of ordinary white pigeons artificially painted in bright colors. There is nothing similar in a true pink pigeon with this color. In a rare natural bird, the main color in the plumage is low-contrast.
Behavioral traits
Females and males of a pink dove emit their cries during the flight. If in females the voice is similar to a low sound with a muffled "x", similar to "huhuu ...", then for males the timbre of the sounds made will be a little louder and frequent with a long "ku-kuu ...".
For a pink dove, flocking in small groups is preferable. For the period of breeding, they form pairs and begin to conduct territorial residence, actively guarding and protecting the occupied area from relatives.
By nature, a pink dove is a monogamous bird.
Birds select nesting sites already with the beginning of the mating season, which falls on August-September. At the same time, in conditions of captivity in zoos, a pink pigeon can prolong its mating season year-round, but the peak in fertility occurs in the spring and summer.
The mating games of these pigeons begin with the courtship of the doves by the males. Birds walk around females with an elongated neck and a swollen goiter.
The nest of rare pigeons is built of thin branches, therefore it is often loose and fragile. The female ovipositor counts no more than 2 eggs with a white shell, incubation of which takes place for 14 days. At the same time, in the morning and at night, the female sits on the egg laying, and in the daytime - the male.
Unusual Paradise Pink Dove. Very beautiful poultry.
Growing chicks
The newborn chicks that appeared after 14 days are blind. Their body is covered with rare fluffy white feathers. During this period, cubs cannot eat on their own, therefore, during the first week of life, the chicks are fed by their parents. For the first 7 days, bird's milk becomes the food for the chicks of pink pigeons - the pigeon's secret of a paste-like state of white color, which is formed by the walls of the bird's goiter. This natural pigeon-produced food contains enough and necessary amount of protein and fatty components to ensure the growth of chicks.
The eyes of chicks open 7 days after birth.
During the growth of the young, the parents begin to include solid food in the feed ration, reducing the output of the produced bird milk. Completely adult pigeon chicks go to 10 days of age.
A pink pigeon rises on the wing after about 3-4 weeks, remaining in the care of its parents for up to 7 weeks. Sexual maturity of birds begins at the age of one year and ends in males at 10-11 years old, in females - by 17-18 years. The total lifespan of these rare pigeons is up to 20 years for males. Females live 5 years less.