Order
Columbiformes
Family
Columbidae
Genus
Patagioenas
 
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Version 1.0

This is a historic version of this account.  Current version

SPECIES

Pale-vented Pigeon Patagioenas cayennensis

Kayleigh Chalkowski
Version: 1.0 — Published October 4, 2013

Behavior

Introduction

Little information, but presumably is similar to that of other species of Patagioenas pigeon. Usually feeds in trees or shrubs, and not often seen on the ground, except when they descend to drink from streams (Wetmore 1968). Also often perch in tall dead trees.

Where Pale-vented Pigeons are hunted, they often are wary (Slud 1964, Wetmore 1968).

Territoriality

No descriptions of specific territorial behavior have been reported.

Sexual Behavior

Undescribed; presumbably is at least socially monogamous.

Wetmore (1968) described a flight display: "Males in display soar above the trees or across small openings with stiffly spread wings, sometimes extended straight and flat, and sometimes elevated at an angle above the back. Again, they fly out in a wide circle, stroking the wings well above the back, finally holding them stiffly while they sail".

Social and interspecific behavior

Pale-vented Pigeon often is gregarious, in small flocks, less frequently in flocks of up to 500 individuals (Baptista et al. 1997). It appears that they are seen in high numbers when clustering around large food resources.

Predation

No specific predators found listed, but various sources mention its being hunted for food (Wetmore 1968, ffrench 1991).

Recommended Citation

Chalkowski, K. (2013). Pale-vented Pigeon (Patagioenas cayennensis), version 1.0. In Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/nb.pavpig2.01