Laurel Pigeon
Encyclopedia
The Laurel Pigeon, White-tailed Laurel Pigeon, Paloma rabiche, (Columba junoniae) is a species of bird
in the Columba
genus in the Columbidae family. It is a member of the family Columbidae of dove
s and pigeons, which is endemic
to the Canary Islands
, Spain
. This Wood Pigeon is endemic
to the Laurel forest
habitat.
The major cause of its population decline is habitat loss
from forest clearance, but hunting and nest predation by Introduced species
and rats were also contributory factors. Protection of the laurel
forests and an effective ban on hunting could enabled numbers to increase, although this species is still declining and endangered.
A rare resident breeder in the mountain laurisilva
and Canary pine forests, the Laurel Pigeon builds a stick nest in a tree. There it lays one white egg
.
At 40–43 cm, a Laurel Pigeon looks like a very dark Wood Pigeon
. It is a basically dark brown bird, with a dark pink breast. The lack of any white markings, together with its darker markings, distinguish it from the other species.
Brown, rather than dark grey plumage
, and the lack of dark bands on the grey tail distinguish it from the other pigeon endemic to the Canary Islands, Bolle's Pigeon
.
A Laurel Pigeon's flight is quick and performed by regular beats. An occasional sharp flick of the wings is characteristic of pigeons in general. Often, the bird takes off with a loud clattering.
The call is a hoarse hiccuped cooing.
Dark tail base and rump and overall slate-grey colouration. Voice Crooning pu-pu-pooo.
The similar canarian species, the Dark-tailed Laurel Pigeon Columba bollii has pale grey subterminal band and blackish terminal band to tail.
Pigeons can breed from their first year, and nesting occurs throughout the year, although mainly from February to June. The displays
are similar to those of the Common Wood Pigeon; the male climbs quickly in flight, gives a loud wing-clap, and then glides down with his wings and tail spread. The display may be repeated two or three times before the bird returns to a perch. On the ground the male performs a bowing display with his neck inflated to show off the iridescent neck patches; meanwhile, the tail is raised, fanned, then closed again. This display is usually accompanied by calling. The nest is a typical pigeon construction, a flimsy structure of twigs and grasses usually placed high in the floor of canyon walls with lots of vegetation. Nestled among the crevices in rocks, in gullies of the hills. The usual clutch has a white egg one smooth white egg. Breeding success and nest predation have effects on the two Canarian endemic pigeons, Bolle's Laurel Pigeon Columba bollii and White-tailed Laurel Pigeon Columba junoniae. Nest predation was the more important cause of nesting failure of both species (88%), but principally affecting the White-tailed Laurel Pigeon. It showed a greater predation on the ground than in trees and a lower predation in the Frebuary-March period than in June-July and September October. The abundance of predators, estimated by bait consumption, showed a similar seasonal pattern, while fruit availability decreased over time from the first to third period. Predators identified by automatic cameras showed that Black Rat Rattus rattus was the major nest predator of both pigeons. These general patterns of nest predation alfect the White-tailed Laurel Pigeon which breeds on the ground mainly during April-July, much more than Bolle's laurel Pigeon, which breeds in trees especially in February-June. All seems to indicate that rats are the key factor causing the scarcity of the White-tailed Laurel Pigeon on Tenerife.
The Laurel Pigeon is exclusively herbivorous. Nearly 60% of its diet is fruit, with most of the rest being leaves, and just 1% is flowers. The fruits of Til, Azores Laurel and Persea indica, and the fruits and leaves of Small-leaved Holly
are the most frequently detected food items. Most seeds pass through the digestive system intact, apart from those of Azores Laurel, which are usually damaged. Fruit is the main component of the diet when it is readily available in autumn and winter, and leaves are consumed in spring and summer when fruits are scarce. In one study, 27% of the leaves consumed came from native trees, especially Small-leaved Holly, 61% from herbs and shrubs, and nearly 10% from introduced trees, mainly apples and peaches. This pigeon will feed in agricultural areas, where cabbage is the most commonly taken crop plant.
However, when the fruit crop of Til and Azores Laurel is poor, large numbers of pigeons may leave the forest to feed on cabbage, flowering cherries and vine shoots. Competition for food with rats can be significant in parts of the island.
. In the 1980s, the population was estimated at 1,200-1,480 individuals, but more recent surveys have shown that it is more numerous, and more widely distributed. The largest subpopulation is found on La Palma, where it occurs across much of the northern half of the island. The species is common on La Gomera, where it is found primarily in the north, and also occurs patchily on the northern slopes of Tenerife. It has recently also been recorded on El Hierro; however, breeding there has not yet been confirmed3,4. Although the species was recently suspected to be declining on Tenerife. Formerly also bred on the neighbouring Gran Canaria
. It mainly occurs on the northern slopes of the mountains, but smaller numbers are found in the south where suitable patches of laurel forest remain.
The natural habitat is tall laurisilva
forest or dense tree heaths which are cloud-covered for much of the year. The forests consist mainly of Azores Laurel
, Oreodaphne foetens, Til
, Madeira Mahogany
, Canary Laurel
, Faya
, Lily of the Valley Tree
and the Picconia
. The Trocaz Pigeon prefers primary forests, but secondary growth
is used for feeding, and agricultural land is also visited, especially at times of fruit shortage. Most of the pigeons are found below 1000 m (3300 ft), and their prime environment appears to be steep ravine-indented slopes along artificial watercourses, with the occasional large dead laurel tree and much tree heath. This species is highly mobile between different areas at different times of year.
It was very abundant when the islands were first colonised by humans, but was extirpated. The losses on the islands were largely due to deforestation for wood and to create agricultural and grazing land.
The exclusion of livestock from the native forest allows it to regenerate and create more suitable habitat. Some illegal hunting and poisoning continues because of the damage this pigeon can do to crops. Perhaps the main limiting factor on the rate at which the pigeon increases its numbers is eggs and young being taken by introduced Black Rats
. It is now classed as Near Threatened
on the IUCN Red List
, an improvement on its Threatened
status in 1988. This species is protected under the European Union
Birds Directive
, and the laurel forests under the Habitats Directive.
is the largest within the pigeon family, and has the widest distribution. Its members are typically pale grey or brown, often with white head or neck markings or iridescent green or purple patches on the neck and breast. The neck feathers may be stiffened and aligned to form grooves. One of several subgroups within Columba consists of the widespread Eurasian Common Wood Pigeon, Bolle's Pigeon, the Trocaz Pigeon, and the African Afep Pigeon
. The two Macaronesia
n endemic pigeons, Bolle's and Trocaz, are thought to be derived from isolated island populations of C. palumbus.
The Atlantic archipelagos of the Canaries
, Azores
, and Madeira
have a volcanic origin and they have never been part of a continent. The formation of Madeira started in the Miocene
and the island was substantially complete by 700,000 years ago. At various times in the past, the major islands of these archipelagos were all colonised by ancestral wood pigeons, which evolved on their respective islands in isolation from the mainland populations. Mitochondrial
and nuclear
DNA
sequences suggest that the ancestor of Bolle's Pigeon may have arrived in the Canaries about 5 mya, but an older lineage that gave rise to another Canarian endemic, the Laurel Pigeon
, C. junoniae, may date from 20 mya. The most recent wood pigeon arrival on Macaronesia was that which gave rise to the subspecies C. palumbus maderensis.
The Trocaz Pigeon
was formally described in 1829 by Karl Heineken
. He recognised it as different from the now-extinct local form of the Madeiran Wood Pigeon
a sub-species of the Common Wood Pigeon. This is a monotypic species, although in the past the canarian Bolle's Pigeon was sometimes regarded as a subspecies
of the Trocaz Pigeon.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the Columba
Columba (genus)
The large bird genus Columba comprises a group of medium to large stout-bodied pigeons, often referred to as the typical pigeons. The terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used indiscriminately for smaller and larger Columbidae, respectively...
genus in the Columbidae family. It is a member of the family Columbidae of dove
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
s and pigeons, which is endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. This Wood Pigeon is endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the Laurel forest
Laurel forest
Laurel forest is a subtropical or mild temperate forest, found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable and mild temperatures. They are characterized by tree species with evergreen, glossy, enlongated leaves, known as laurophyll or lauroide...
habitat.
Generallity
It is a pigeon which is endemic to some Canary islands. Iits close relative and probable ancestor is the Common Wood Pigeon. Despite its bulky, long-tailed appearance, this pigeon has a fast, direct flight.The major cause of its population decline is habitat loss
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
from forest clearance, but hunting and nest predation by Introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
and rats were also contributory factors. Protection of the laurel
Lauraceae
The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...
forests and an effective ban on hunting could enabled numbers to increase, although this species is still declining and endangered.
Description
The Laurel Pigeon is a rather plain, dark grey bird of 38 cm. Large, dark brown and grey pigeon. Mainly dark sepia-brown, redder on underparts. Pale grey tail with broad, whitish terminal band. Extensive green gloss to rear crown and hindneck becoming pink on upper mantle. Whitish bill and pale eye.A rare resident breeder in the mountain laurisilva
Laurisilva
Laurisilva or laurissilva is a subtropical forest, found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable and mild temperatures. They are characterised by evergreen, glossy-leaved tree species that look alike with leaves of lauroide type...
and Canary pine forests, the Laurel Pigeon builds a stick nest in a tree. There it lays one white egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
.
At 40–43 cm, a Laurel Pigeon looks like a very dark Wood Pigeon
Wood Pigeon
The Wood Pigeon is a species of bird in the Columba genus in the Columbidae family. It is a member of the dove and pigeon family Columbidae.- Distribution :...
. It is a basically dark brown bird, with a dark pink breast. The lack of any white markings, together with its darker markings, distinguish it from the other species.
Brown, rather than dark grey plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
, and the lack of dark bands on the grey tail distinguish it from the other pigeon endemic to the Canary Islands, Bolle's Pigeon
Bolle's Pigeon
The Bolle's Pigeon is a species of Columba genus of the family Columbidae, of doves and pigeons, which is endemic to the Canary Islands, Spain. This bird is named after the German naturalist Carl Bolle, who was the first to distinguish it from the Laurel Pigeon...
.
A Laurel Pigeon's flight is quick and performed by regular beats. An occasional sharp flick of the wings is characteristic of pigeons in general. Often, the bird takes off with a loud clattering.
The call is a hoarse hiccuped cooing.
Dark tail base and rump and overall slate-grey colouration. Voice Crooning pu-pu-pooo.
The similar canarian species, the Dark-tailed Laurel Pigeon Columba bollii has pale grey subterminal band and blackish terminal band to tail.
Ecology
It prefers areas with steep slopes, escarpments and gullies, where it occurs in dry forest, laurel forest and Canary pine forest, as well as cultivated areas4. Nests are on the ground - in fissures, holes or small ledges, at the bases of trees, and under rocks or fallen tree trunks - in steep, rocky, shady areas with abundant shrubby vegetation4. The breeding season varies between islands, but extends from January to September, with a peak between April-June. At least on Tenerife, breeding success appears to be low, as a consequence of intense nest predation1,4.Pigeons can breed from their first year, and nesting occurs throughout the year, although mainly from February to June. The displays
Display (zoology)
Display is a form of animal behaviour, linked to survival of the species in various ways. One example of display used by some species can be found in the form of courtship, with the male usually having a striking feature that is distinguished by colour, shape or size, used to attract a female...
are similar to those of the Common Wood Pigeon; the male climbs quickly in flight, gives a loud wing-clap, and then glides down with his wings and tail spread. The display may be repeated two or three times before the bird returns to a perch. On the ground the male performs a bowing display with his neck inflated to show off the iridescent neck patches; meanwhile, the tail is raised, fanned, then closed again. This display is usually accompanied by calling. The nest is a typical pigeon construction, a flimsy structure of twigs and grasses usually placed high in the floor of canyon walls with lots of vegetation. Nestled among the crevices in rocks, in gullies of the hills. The usual clutch has a white egg one smooth white egg. Breeding success and nest predation have effects on the two Canarian endemic pigeons, Bolle's Laurel Pigeon Columba bollii and White-tailed Laurel Pigeon Columba junoniae. Nest predation was the more important cause of nesting failure of both species (88%), but principally affecting the White-tailed Laurel Pigeon. It showed a greater predation on the ground than in trees and a lower predation in the Frebuary-March period than in June-July and September October. The abundance of predators, estimated by bait consumption, showed a similar seasonal pattern, while fruit availability decreased over time from the first to third period. Predators identified by automatic cameras showed that Black Rat Rattus rattus was the major nest predator of both pigeons. These general patterns of nest predation alfect the White-tailed Laurel Pigeon which breeds on the ground mainly during April-July, much more than Bolle's laurel Pigeon, which breeds in trees especially in February-June. All seems to indicate that rats are the key factor causing the scarcity of the White-tailed Laurel Pigeon on Tenerife.
The Laurel Pigeon is exclusively herbivorous. Nearly 60% of its diet is fruit, with most of the rest being leaves, and just 1% is flowers. The fruits of Til, Azores Laurel and Persea indica, and the fruits and leaves of Small-leaved Holly
Ilex canariensis
Ilex canariensis ,is an endemic species of holly native to Macaronesian islands. It is a species of plant in the Aquifoliaceae family. It is found in Macaronesian islands of Madeira and Canarias ....
are the most frequently detected food items. Most seeds pass through the digestive system intact, apart from those of Azores Laurel, which are usually damaged. Fruit is the main component of the diet when it is readily available in autumn and winter, and leaves are consumed in spring and summer when fruits are scarce. In one study, 27% of the leaves consumed came from native trees, especially Small-leaved Holly, 61% from herbs and shrubs, and nearly 10% from introduced trees, mainly apples and peaches. This pigeon will feed in agricultural areas, where cabbage is the most commonly taken crop plant.
However, when the fruit crop of Til and Azores Laurel is poor, large numbers of pigeons may leave the forest to feed on cabbage, flowering cherries and vine shoots. Competition for food with rats can be significant in parts of the island.
Distribution and habitat
The Laurel Pigeon is endemic to the mountainous subtropical Atlantic west Canary islands, where it occurs on the islands of La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife and El HierroEl Hierro
El Hierro, nicknamed Isla del Meridiano , is the smallest and farthest south and west of the Canary Islands , in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, with a population of 10,162 .- Name :The name El Hierro, although phonetically identical to the Spanish word for 'iron', is generally thought...
. In the 1980s, the population was estimated at 1,200-1,480 individuals, but more recent surveys have shown that it is more numerous, and more widely distributed. The largest subpopulation is found on La Palma, where it occurs across much of the northern half of the island. The species is common on La Gomera, where it is found primarily in the north, and also occurs patchily on the northern slopes of Tenerife. It has recently also been recorded on El Hierro; however, breeding there has not yet been confirmed3,4. Although the species was recently suspected to be declining on Tenerife. Formerly also bred on the neighbouring Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
. It mainly occurs on the northern slopes of the mountains, but smaller numbers are found in the south where suitable patches of laurel forest remain.
The natural habitat is tall laurisilva
Laurisilva
Laurisilva or laurissilva is a subtropical forest, found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable and mild temperatures. They are characterised by evergreen, glossy-leaved tree species that look alike with leaves of lauroide type...
forest or dense tree heaths which are cloud-covered for much of the year. The forests consist mainly of Azores Laurel
Laurus azorica
Laurus azorica is a species of plant in the Lauraceae family, related to laurus nobilis. It is a member of the genus Laurus and is commonly known as Azores Laurel. Laurus is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae...
, Oreodaphne foetens, Til
Ocotea foetens
Ocotea foetens is a species of tree up to 40 m tall in the Lauraceae family. It is a common constituent in the laurisilva forests of the archipelagoes of Macaronesia: Madeira and Azores , and Canaries . It is commonly called "Til", "Tilo", "Stinkwood", Garoé, Oreodaphne foetens or Rain tree of...
, Madeira Mahogany
Persea indica
Persea indica is a species of plant in the Lauraceae family.It is found in the Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands in Macaronesia. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Overview:...
, Canary Laurel
Appolonias barbujana
Apollonias barbujana , the Canary Laurel or Barbusano, is perhaps the only species of flowering plants belonging to Apollonias genus, in the laurel family, Lauraceae....
, Faya
Myrica faya
Myrica faya is a species of Myrica, native to Macaronesia , and possibly also southern Portugal....
, Lily of the Valley Tree
Clethra arborea
Clethra arborea, commonly known as the Lily of the Valley Tree, is a flowering plant in the genus Clethra. It is found in Macaronesia where it is native to Madeira, extinct in the Canary Islands, and considered an introduced species in the Azores...
and the Picconia
Picconia excelsa
Picconia excelsa is a species of Picconia, endemic to Macaronesia, occurring on the Canary Islands and Madeira .-Description:...
. The Trocaz Pigeon prefers primary forests, but secondary growth
Secondary growth
In many vascular plants, secondary growth is the result of the activity of the two lateral meristems, the cork cambium and vascular cambium. Arising from lateral meristems, secondary growth increases the girth of the plant root or stem, rather than its length. As long as the lateral meristems...
is used for feeding, and agricultural land is also visited, especially at times of fruit shortage. Most of the pigeons are found below 1000 m (3300 ft), and their prime environment appears to be steep ravine-indented slopes along artificial watercourses, with the occasional large dead laurel tree and much tree heath. This species is highly mobile between different areas at different times of year.
It was very abundant when the islands were first colonised by humans, but was extirpated. The losses on the islands were largely due to deforestation for wood and to create agricultural and grazing land.
The exclusion of livestock from the native forest allows it to regenerate and create more suitable habitat. Some illegal hunting and poisoning continues because of the damage this pigeon can do to crops. Perhaps the main limiting factor on the rate at which the pigeon increases its numbers is eggs and young being taken by introduced Black Rats
Black Rat
The black rat is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus in the subfamily Murinae . The species originated in tropical Asia and spread through the Near East in Roman times before reaching Europe by the 1st century and spreading with Europeans across the world.-Taxonomy:The black rat was...
. It is now classed as Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
, an improvement on its Threatened
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
status in 1988. This species is protected under the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
Birds Directive
Birds Directive
The Birds Directive is a European Union directive adopted in 2009. It replaces Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds which was modified several times and had become very unclear...
, and the laurel forests under the Habitats Directive.
Taxonomy
The genus ColumbaColumba (genus)
The large bird genus Columba comprises a group of medium to large stout-bodied pigeons, often referred to as the typical pigeons. The terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used indiscriminately for smaller and larger Columbidae, respectively...
is the largest within the pigeon family, and has the widest distribution. Its members are typically pale grey or brown, often with white head or neck markings or iridescent green or purple patches on the neck and breast. The neck feathers may be stiffened and aligned to form grooves. One of several subgroups within Columba consists of the widespread Eurasian Common Wood Pigeon, Bolle's Pigeon, the Trocaz Pigeon, and the African Afep Pigeon
Afep Pigeon
The Afep Pigeon also known as the African Wood-Pigeon, or Gray Wood-Pigeon is a member of the Columbidae family which lives in Africa.Like many other pigeons, it mainly feeds on grain and seeds....
. The two Macaronesia
Macaronesia
Macaronesia is a modern collective name for several groups of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean near Europe and North Africa belonging to three countries: Portugal, Spain, and Cape Verde...
n endemic pigeons, Bolle's and Trocaz, are thought to be derived from isolated island populations of C. palumbus.
The Atlantic archipelagos of the Canaries
Canaries
Canaries may refer to:* Canary Islands, an archipelago in the Atlantic belonging to Spain* Canaries Quarter, a village on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia* "The Canaries", the nickname of two English football teams: Norwich City F.C. and Hitchin Town F.C....
, Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, and Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
have a volcanic origin and they have never been part of a continent. The formation of Madeira started in the Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
and the island was substantially complete by 700,000 years ago. At various times in the past, the major islands of these archipelagos were all colonised by ancestral wood pigeons, which evolved on their respective islands in isolation from the mainland populations. Mitochondrial
Mitochondrion
In cell biology, a mitochondrion is a membrane-enclosed organelle found in most eukaryotic cells. These organelles range from 0.5 to 1.0 micrometers in diameter...
and nuclear
Cell nucleus
In cell biology, the nucleus is a membrane-enclosed organelle found in eukaryotic cells. It contains most of the cell's genetic material, organized as multiple long linear DNA molecules in complex with a large variety of proteins, such as histones, to form chromosomes. The genes within these...
DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
sequences suggest that the ancestor of Bolle's Pigeon may have arrived in the Canaries about 5 mya, but an older lineage that gave rise to another Canarian endemic, the Laurel Pigeon
Laurel Pigeon
The Laurel Pigeon, White-tailed Laurel Pigeon, Paloma rabiche, is a species of bird in the Columba genus in the Columbidae family. It is a member of the family Columbidae of doves and pigeons, which is endemic to the Canary Islands, Spain...
, C. junoniae, may date from 20 mya. The most recent wood pigeon arrival on Macaronesia was that which gave rise to the subspecies C. palumbus maderensis.
The Trocaz Pigeon
Trocaz Pigeon
The Trocaz Pigeon, Madeira Laurel Pigeon or Long-toed Pigeon is a pigeon which is endemic to the island of Madeira. It is a mainly grey bird with a pinkish breast; its silvery neck patch and lack of white wing markings distinguish it from its close relative and probable ancestor, the Common Wood...
was formally described in 1829 by Karl Heineken
Karl Heineken
Karl Heineken , also known as Carlos Heineken, was a German medical doctor and ornithologist. He lived on Madeira, a Portuguese island in Macaronesia, from 1826 until his death. He described the Trocaz Pigeon, a Madeiran endemic bird species...
. He recognised it as different from the now-extinct local form of the Madeiran Wood Pigeon
Madeiran Wood Pigeon
The Madeiran Wood Pigeon was an endemic subspecies of the Wood Pigeon for Madeira . This Wood Pigeon is endemic to the Laurel forest habitat....
a sub-species of the Common Wood Pigeon. This is a monotypic species, although in the past the canarian Bolle's Pigeon was sometimes regarded as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Trocaz Pigeon.