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<strong>EEP</strong> STUDBOOK CROWNED PIGEONS<br />
Nutrition<br />
In the area of this study the food of crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s consists of fruits, but mainly seeds, which<br />
are remarkably large. In the crop of one of the birds. Seeds were found over 5 cm long. The<br />
crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s are eating remarkably large stones from the riverbanks, probably to faster<br />
digest the large foodparts. These stones were also found in the stomachs of the birds. In the crop<br />
and stomach contents of the four crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s shot by the villagers they we were not able to<br />
detect any animal food, but these are just the results of four birds, all shot within three days.<br />
More about the nutrition of crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s in the wild can be found in “Nutrition of crowned<br />
<strong>pigeon</strong>s” in this studbook.<br />
The <strong>pigeon</strong>s are mostly foraging in groups, the animals keep in touch with each other by<br />
producing a sound, which is called "contact-call" by researchers in zoos.<br />
They are usually walking quite close (within a range of one meter) to each other and the sound<br />
means locating where the other individuals are. Only if they do not receive a response to their<br />
contact call, they stop foraging and start looking for their congeners.<br />
The rainy season in the Lakekamu Basin, which receives about 5 meters of rain annually, starts<br />
in December and lasts until March. For weather conditions duringthe research period, see<br />
Appendix 1. Throughout the country there's a lot of variation in the rainy season, because the<br />
high mountains are separating the country in many isolated parts. The breeding season of<br />
crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s in the Lakekamu Basin starts in April and ends in June. According to the<br />
villagers this is the only time of the year they lay eggs.<br />
Reproductive behaviour<br />
The crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s build a nest close to and sometimes even above the water. Because of the<br />
water the birds have more space to approach the nest. Although they are living in groups during a<br />
part of the year, they are hatching the egg separate from the other crowned <strong>pigeon</strong>s. They are,<br />
also according to the villagers, using the same nest for several years, and of course they are<br />
renovating it each year. They build a nest upon a cross or division of two or three branches. They<br />
not only have a more solid surface to build the nest on, but also have better possibilities to<br />
approach the nest.<br />
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