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National Geographic : 1936 Oct
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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE leaves of these plants form cups that col lect water from the frequent rains, so that in climbing to the pigeons' nests I was continually drenched as I bent or broke the plants aside. The white-crowned pigeon ranges from extreme southern Florida to the Bahama Islands, a considerable part of the West Indies, and on coastal islands as far as western Panama. Band-tailed Pigeon (Columba fasciata) Through December fog, with occasional showers of rain, I walked slowly among the live oaks of a scattered grove near Stock ton, California, watching eagerly for strange birds. A large pigeon, dimly seen in the haze, passed at a distance, its direct, swift flight resembling that of a hawk. A little later one of the same kind flushed quickly from a tree top, only to be stopped by a shot as it darted away, and a moment later I held in my hand my first band tailed pigeon (Color Plate XIV). Its body was heavy, far more so than I had supposed, and its handsome markings seemed to me to make it one of the finest birds that I had ever seen. Its crop was filled with acorns swallowed whole to be ground to pieces in its strongly muscled stomach. The band-tailed pigeon is important as a game bird in various parts of the West, and for this reason has had its difficulties in maintaining its numbers. Years ago great flocks came in winter to the valley lands of California when acorns were abundant, and thousands of them were killed by hunters. With increasing population, there was danger that these birds might follow the passenger pigeon to extinction (Plate XV and page 495). Fortunately, wisely planned hunting regulations intervened and the birds were protected to a point where they are again abundant in many localities. The nest of the band-tail is a loose struc ture of twigs built in a tree. Normally it contains one white egg, though rarely there are said to be two. Nests on the ground have been reported. The nesting period ranges from April to June. Ordinarily the birds breed in scattered pairs, though at times they have been known to colonize. By the novice in ornithological matters the band-tailed pigeon is often mistaken for the extinct passenger pigeon, formerly so abundant. The band-tail is easily told by its square-ended tail, as the tail of the passenger pigeon was elongated like that of a mourning dove. The true band-tailed pigeon (Columba fasciata fasciata) ranges from southern British Columbia and Montana to western Texas, Mexico, and Guatemala. It re mains in winter as far north as the south western United States. Viosca's pigeon (Columba f. vioscae), which is somewhat paler, is found in lower Baja California. Red-billed Pigeon (Columba flavirostris flavirostris) To find the red-billed pigeon it is neces sary to visit the densely wooded bottom lands of the Rio Grande in southern Texas, as this is another of the interesting southern species that come barely within American borders (Color Plate XIV). This bird is an inhabitant of trees, in which it makes the frail nest usual among pigeons to contain a single, pure-white egg. It is like the domestic pigeon in build, with heavy body, and strong wings that make a clapping sound as it rises in flight. The call is a loud cooing note. This pigeon ranges from El Salvador and Guatemala north to the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. A closely allied race is found in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. White-fronted Dove (Leptotila fulviventris angelica) Another species of southern affinity is the white-fronted dove, which ranges with the red-billed pigeon in the forests of the lower Rio Grande in Texas (Color Plate XIV). Ordinarily this is a bird of the ground, where it walks about sedately under the dense cover of trees and shrubbery. It is also found in tall trees on occasion, often at a considerable height. Flush it suddenly and it rises with a peculiar whistling sound, probably pro duced by the outermost primary feather of the wing. This is narrowed at the tip, so that it is shaped like a little curved sword. The white-fronted dove differs from our other pigeons in the deep sounding notes of its call. Its nest, larger and bulkier than ordinary in this family, is placed in bushes or low trees. It lays two eggs which are creamy buff in color when fresh, but usually fade in a short time to dull white when preserved in collections. 494
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