is the family Taube with approximately 300 types widespread world-wide and is missing only in the polar-region, on the Australian islands, on Iceland and in the northern regions of Canada, Scandinavia and Siberia. Preferably, forest-areas, at least for a part of its life, (exception) are populated: Rock-pigeon, Columba livia.
Shape From the general idea, that we have from the shape of a pigeon, soft only few representatives from. Here, the tooth-pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris) of the Samoa-islands with its huge, strongly bent beak, that shows several notches, would be to be mentioned. Or the Krontauben (type Goura) from Melanesien, that not only is (76 cm of length) unusually big, but also through the upright head-feathers, that form a filigree-good fan, stands out. Both groups, also because of further characteristics, became into own subfamilies of the Systematikern abgegliedert anyway.
All other types form only 2 further subfamilies, the fruit-deaf persons and the actual pigeons. Almost without exception one recognizes its family-affiliation, independently from it, on the first gaze whether it is about the small Diamanttäubchen (15-20 cm of length) or one of the much "city-deaf person", that go back to the trunk-form of the rock-pigeon like the house-pigeon. The plumage of the deaf person is very differently colored on that occasion; it can be monotonous or, as in the case of the fruit-deaf person, active colors show. The sexes distinguish externally only little for itself. The head with the beak thickened at the basis, very small opposite the body, that is bent at the top to a small hook is typical in every case and carries a bare wax-skin. The wings are strongly in a round shape and enable the animals to a fast flight in general.
Nutrition The pigeon-birds possess a strongly developed crop as Körnerfresser. Here, the food is shreded stored and late with most types of the muscular stomach. Only the stomach of the mane-pigeon (Colo-Ena's nicobarica) is reinforced like with the chickens through additional Reibplatten so that also especially hard grains can be unlocked. it also resembles externally, as exception, rather a hen-bird. The fruit-eating types (fruit-deaf) can give up strong muscle-stomachs. Some Körnerfresser supplement its nutrition through insects and other small invertebrates, who are swallowed unzerkaut.
Deaf persons must pick up waters regularly. Drinking its type is quite uncommon on that occasion, because they lift the head not - like other birds - when swallowing but absorbs the water under pumping movements with dipped in beak.
Crop-milk The boys are nourished during the first life-days with the crop-milk. The mucous membrane in the crop of both alto-birds isolates for this whole glandular-cells, that disintegrate in the crop-bags, and a half-solid mash, that the boys must get out themselves from the pharynx, forms. After some days, grains are added this food.
Reproduction After an extensive performs courtship display with mutual bows and "cooing", the deaf persons build its brushwood-nest into trees, like Z. B. the ringlet-pigeon or the Turteltaube, or into a natural or artificial cavity; some Australian types nest also on the ground. The nest usually consists of 2 eggs, more rarely only from one single one. The incubation and above all the nestling-time of this of almost bare slipping boys is determined by the height of the type. The small Diamanttäubchen linger in the nest only 11-12 days while the big Krontauben are independent only in 32-35 days. Also already like the nest-construction, the Bebrütung of the eggs and the Aufzucht of the squabs share both sex-partners. Deaf persons live in monogamy.
Hikes Only few types, that live predominantly in restrained zones in Europe, Asia and America, show a distinct migratory bird-behavior. To this, Z counts in Europe. B. the Turteltaube, that still spends the winter in Africa south from the Sahara, while the ringlet-pigeon moves only at the southern edge of its spread-area (France, Spain) from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Corresponding hikes are for the northern populations of the American Turteltaube or mourning-pigeon (Cenaidura macroura) and the Oriental Turteltaube (Streptopelia orientalis) known.
Types Beside the Turteltaube (Streptopelia turtur) and the broadly known Turk-pigeon (St). decaocto, the European types consider field-deaf persons (Columba), that are represented on all continents, one of the type. The ringlet-pigeon (Columba palumbus); 41 cm of length, the biggest representative of the European spread-area is. Opposite the house-deaf persons and the smaller hollow-pigeon (C). oenas; 33 cm of length, it is to be distinguished also from big distance at the much longer tail. Other types are Z. T. in its occurrence to individual islands been restricted. The white-head-pigeon (C). leucocephala; 30-33 cm of length, from the Caribbean area sleeps as single type from its feed-trees on small dry-places in the flat Meeresbuchten ("Meerestauben") far away.
Numerous types get along the Turteltauben (type Streptopelia) very draws near. To this, also popular cage-birds, Z, belong. B. the Australian Diamanttäubchen (Geopelia cuneata) or the Sperbertäubchen (G). striata. Other small forms are summarized as "American dwarf-deaf persons" (Z). B. Inkatäubchen, Scardafella inca; 20 cm of length.
Particularly the southeast part of the old world lodges most types. The most known pigeon from the spread-area around Indonesia, Melanesien and Ozeanien is the dagger-sting-pigeon (Gallicolumba luzonica); 30 cm of length, that got its name because of the shining-red stain on the otherwise white breast. In the same area and in Australia, the shine-deaf persons (type Chalcophaps) live, the iridescent wing-spring has.
The green-deaf persons (type Treron) from southeast-Asia, Melanesien, Indonesia and Africa have a typically green plumage with yellow, black or orange-red drawings. they live on fruits and are tree-inhabitants. Also the parrot-deaf persons (type Sphenurus) carry a green plumage as main-color. One therefore considered it relatives of the green-deaf person long time, as well like the deaf persons most splendid probably at all, the fuzz-foot-deaf persons (type Ptilinopus).
Endangering Some types are because of its palatable meat among the hunt-pure game still today. However, end (Z) was offered the borderless shooting down by legal editions in many countries. B. Close season of the ringlet-pigeon in Germany or the mourning-pigeon, Zenaidura macroura, in America. The hollow-pigeon is on the red list of the strongly endangered types with us.
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