White-crowned Pigeon

Overview
White-crowned Pigeon: Large dove, slate-gray overall with conspicuous white crown. Scaled nape is iridescent green when seen in good light. Iris is white.Yellow bill has red base. Legs and feet are red. Eats berries, seeds and insects. Swift direct flight with strong rapid wing beats.

Range and Habitat
White-crowned Pigeon: Distributed throughout most of the West Indies, the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan and the Florida Keys. Frequents semi-deciduous woods and mangrove swamps.

The White-crowned Pigeon is a member of the same family as doves and pigeons. This species is largely a permanent resident throughout its range. Breeding takes place in the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica and Antigua. Smaller populations may be found on the Caribbean coast of Central America, the Florida Keys, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Anguilla and other Caribbean islands. Loss of habitat is a major threat to this species, as it is lost to urbanization and deforestation efforts. Diets consist largely of seeds, nuts, insects and berries. The conservation rating for the White-crowned Pigeon is currently Least Concern.

INTERESTING FACTS
A strict frugivore, they can fly great distances over water. They island hop in the Bahamas and Florida Keys in search of food. John James Audubon did a famous painting of the White-crowned Pigeon on Indian Key in April 1832. They have a particularly long nesting season in years when food is abundant, nesting up to four times in a single year. A group of pigeons has many collective nouns, including a "band", "dropping", "loft", "passel" and "school" of pigeons.