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| Common Name: | Luzon bleeding heart pigeon | Family: | Columbidae |
| Latin Name: | Gallicolumba luzonica | Diet: | Herbivore |
| Type: | Bird | Habitat: | Tropical Rainforests |
| Native To: | Asia | Social Unit: | Group |
| IUCN Red List Status: | Endangered |
Bleeding heart pigeons at Edinburgh Zoo
Here at Edinburgh Zoo we have a male bleeding heart pigeon. He hatched in July 2005 and came to us from Paradise Wildlife Park, Hertfordshire in February 2006.
Where it can be found at Edinburgh Zoo
The bleeding heart pigeon is in the rhino walk aviary with the socorro dove, lady ross turaco and blue-crowned laughing thrush.
Bleeding heart pigeons in the wild
The Luzon bleeding heart pigeon (Gallicolumba luzonica) is only found in the Philippines inhabiting the islands of Luzon and Polillo. They live in tropical, dense rainforests.
As the name suggests, the bleeding heart pigeon has a red patch of feathers over their breast which resembles a wound. The rest of the bird is covered in grey feathers which, depending on the light, can appear blue, green or purple. Both sexes are the same in appearance and have the same distinctive mark; however males are larger in size than females.
Only retreating to trees to nest, bleeding heart pigeons spend most of their life on the ground. They are quiet and shy birds; if feeling threatened they will fly a short distance out of immediate danger and then flee on foot.
Living in flocks, travelling and foraging together, bleeding heart pigeons communicate with each other through a series of coos.
Bleeding heart pigeons have a mixed diet of berries, fruit, grubs, insects and seeds. When drinking, unlike other birds, they do not lift their head between sips; instead they submerge their beak and then suck the water up and swallow.
A male will court a female through a series of coos. After mating, a nest is built above the ground and then the female lays two eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs for approximately two weeks. Once hatched, the chicks feed on “crop”, a rich milk the female provides for the first few days. They then progress to a diet of fruits and seeds.
Luzon bleeding heart pigeons are at risk. Due to their unusual appearance, they are caught and sold in the pet trade. Habitat loss due to logging and hunting of this species are also causing numbers in the wild to decline. Because of these threats, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the bleeding heart pigeon as Near Threatened. This means that the species is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.
Breeding programme category: ESB
IUCN Red List category: Near Threatened
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