PIGEONS(CONTI....)

SNOW PIGEON
SIZE; Pigeon; 35 cm(14 in).
FIELD CHARACTERS; A particoloured brown and white high-altitude pigeon. In overhead flight blackish head, white body, and white-banded blackish tail are pointers. Seen below observer’s level, the blackish head, brown back, white rump-patch, gray wings with three dark bars, and blackish tail with narrow white sub terminal band are diagnostic.
SEXES; alike.
STATUS, HABITAT, ETC; Resident at altitudes between 3000 and 4500 m, descending lower in severe winters. Affects rocky cliffs and gorges in the alpine zone and above snow line. Lives and roosts in colonies on cliffs, small parties flying out to glean on grassy slopes or at edge of melting snows; in summer also in barley fields around upland villages. Flight typical of pigeons, strong, direct, and with rapid wing beats.
FOOD;Seeds, grains, bulbils and green vegetable matter.
CALL; Repeated croaks, not unlike hiccups, of recognizable pigeon pattern.

HILL PIGEON
SIZE; pigeon, length 35cm(14 in).
FIELD CHARACTERS; A high-altitude pigeon superficially like the familiar Blue Rock but much paler bluish gray above and with whitish under-parts. In flight the pure white rump-patch and broad white band across blackish tail, of patterns like Snow pigeon.
SEXES; alike.
STATUS, HABITAT, ETC; Resident in the high Tibetan Plateau facies of extreme, northern Sikkim(probably also Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh) at 4500m and above, descending lower in hard winters. Lives in colonies on crags and precipices, commuting dwellings where available.
FOOD; green shoots and grain of barley, oats, etc., and with a sort of jeering intonation.

MAROONBACKED IMPERIAL PIGEON
SIZE; Jungle 50 cm(20 in).
FIELD CHARACTERS A large grayish brown forest pigeon with whitish under tail-coverts. Above, crown and hind neck lilac; back and mantle maroon-brown; rump ashy gray. Tail black and brownish gray. Below, sides of head gray; throat white; rest vinous gray, under tail-coverts buff. Under aspect of tail gray with a round black sub terminal band.
SEXES; alike.
STATUS, HABITAT, ETC. Resident, with seasonal nomadism as in all fruit pigeon. Duars, foothills and up to 15 or 20, usually high up in foliage canopy of lofty trees. Commonly suns itself on bare topmost branches early morning and before sunset. Flight swift and powerful but with leisurely-looking wing flaps.
FOOD; exclusively fruit, largely wild figs and nutmegs, swallowed entire.
CALL; deep, booming, rather mournful uk-ook….ook, repeated at a few seconds intervals.

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