Patagioenas leucocephala
The White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala) is a striking medium-sized pigeon, typically measuring 29-35 cm (11.5-13.8 inches) in length with a wingspan of 48-53 cm (19-21 inches) and weighing 150-300g. Its most distinctive field mark is the brilliant, stark white cap on the head of adults, which contrasts sharply with its otherwise dark slate-grey body. The nape and hindneck often exhibit an iridescent green and purple sheen, particularly noticeable in males. This species belongs to ...
This species primarily inhabits coastal mangrove swamps, keys, and islands, as well as adjacent tropical and subtropical dry forests and scrubland, typically at low elevations.
The diet consists almost exclusively of fruits and berries, particularly those from poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum), gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba), sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera), and various palms, foraged directly from trees.
White-crowned Pigeons are largely diurnal, spending nights roosting communally in dense mangrove forests, often utilizing the same sites year after year. Their foraging strategy involves strong, direct flight, often covering many miles over open water to reach fruiting trees on other islands or m...
The White-crowned Pigeon's core breeding range spans the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and various islands throughout the Lesser Antilles, extending south to Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire. Small breeding populations also occur on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and in co...
Vulnerable
- White-crowned Pigeons are expert 'island hoppers,' regularly flying up to 20 miles (32 km) over open ocean between their nesting mangroves and inland fruiting forests. - They are crucial seed dispersers for many Caribbean coastal plant species, playing a vital role in maintaining ecosystem heal...