Pale-Capped Pigeon:
In a significant sighting for birdwatchers and conservationists alike, the elusive Pale-capped Pigeon was recently photographed in Dehing Patkai National Park in Assam.
- The pale-capped pigeon, also known as the purple wood pigeon, is a large, dark purplish-maroon bird that is found in parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
- Scientific Name: Columba punicea
- It is very locally distributed across its broad range, which encompasses parts of northern and northeastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand,
- Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
- It largely inhabits forest habitats, chiefly, primary or secondary evergreen forests, and bamboo and agricultural fields in close proximity to forests.
- Its range extends from the lowlands up to 1,600 m.
- It is mainly brown above and chestnut below with a sheen of green or amethyst.
- Males have a whitish-grey-cap while females have a brownish-grey-cap and less gloss on the feathers.
- They are frugivores, foraging in small groups in the canopy of trees but sometimes descending to the ground for seeds and fallen fruit.
- Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
