Fun African Green Pigeon Facts For Kids

There are 29 species of green pigeons in the world. These species are mostly spread across Africa and Asia.

The African green pigeon is one in the same family and belongs to the genus Treron. The African green pigeon (Treron calvus) is endemic to Africa including Zimbabwe, northern and eastern Botswana, Mozambique, and northern Nambia. They are known to be migratory in some instances.

Pigeons provide a good role model for society and they are considered good since they constitute an important part of the ecosystem. The African green pigeon (Treron calvus) is listed as a Least Concern species in the IUCN Red List.

Owing to their plumage, they are able to easily hide and camouflage themselves within the trees or forests where they live from predators. They are distinguished from common pigeons owing to their color, which is green obtained from Carotenoid pigment in their diet.

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African Green Pigeon Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an African green pigeon?

The African green pigeon (Treron calvus) is a type of pigeon bird that belongs to the kingdom Animalia, order Columbiformes, and genus Treron.

What class of animal does an African green pigeon belong to?

The African green pigeon (Treron calvus) is a type of pigeon which belongs to class Aves, family Columbidae, and genus Treron.

How many African green pigeons are there in the world?

The African green pigeon (Treron calvus) population size is not evaluated. However, their population trend has been predicted to decrease in the future.  

Where does an African green pigeon live?

African green pigeons live in forests, tree canopies, and woodlands. They are seen in regions in Africa such as Zimbabwe, northern and eastern Botswana, Mozambique, and northern Nambia. They build a nest on trees branches or on a surface that is safe enough to protect the young.

What is an African green pigeon's habitat?

An African pigeon's habitats include savanna, woodland, forest, tree canopies, as well as urban and semi-urban areas. They build a nest on tree branches and they are accommodative towards various environments. Owing to their color, they camouflage easily into their environments and can only be rarely spotted.

Who do African green pigeons live with?

African green pigeons live by themselves as solitary birds as well as in groups. They are seen more often in groups similar to common pigeons. In the wild, they coexist with other species. It is not advised to feed pigeons since they attract rodents like rats as well as mice.

How long does an African green pigeon live?

African green pigeons (Treron calvus) exact lifespan is not known. The oldest pigeon in the world was named Peace and was estimated to have lived 24 years which is 147 years old in pigeon time.

How do they reproduce?

African green pigeons (Treron calvus) breeding season occurs from September to December. Females lay two eggs per clutch, with both males and females equally involved in the incubation of the eggs.

The incubation period lasts 13-14 days. Both males and females assist in feeding the chicks. The chicks are born without feathers and are fed food from fruiting trees as well as plants from a riparian forest.

They may breed multiple times throughout their lifetime. Both males and females build a nest for the young. The nest is built similar to other species of birds.

Their nest consists of twigs, sticks, and other materials which they find in their surroundings. Their nest is built in a tree usually, and they do not use the same nest more than once.

What is their conservation status?

An African green pigeon is classified as a Least Concern species by the International Union For Conservation Of Nature IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. These birds are not rare and are spotted easily near fruiting trees as well as in riparian forests.  

African Green Pigeon Fun Facts

What do African green pigeons look like?

The African green pigeon (Treron calva) is a green-colored pigeon with maroon shoulder patches. The green upperparts match the trees helping them to camouflage easily. They have orange to red legs and feet.

Their thighs are covered with vibrant yellow feathers. Their thighs are not extremely visible as their thighs are usually covered by the wings. The head and neck are grayish in color. The tail feathers are mostly olive-green to yellowish.

They have white eyes and a red beak with a white tip. They have the ability to hang upside down like parrots to get fruits from trees. Males are bigger in size and heavier compared to females.

How cute are they?

The African green pigeon is extremely cute and adorable. It has an overall green plumage with maroon shoulder patches and an overall unique appearance that instantly attracts the eye. The maroon patches are not extremely visible unless observed closely.

How do they communicate?

These birds have a unique and distinctive call to communicate different signals. Their call begins with clicking trills followed by a high-pitched whistle ended with a frog-like croak as well as grunts or yelling.

They stay within the same region for the most part unless they cannot find appropriate food to feed on, in which instance they fly longer distances.

How big is an African green pigeon?

The African green pigeon is 9.8-11.8 in (25-30 cm) in length, which is 10 times bigger than the smallest bird in the world, the bee hummingbird, which measures only 2.2-2.4 in (5.5- 6.1 cm).  

How fast can an African green pigeon fly?

African green pigeon birds fly with their wings and fly at relatively moderate speeds. However, their exact flying speed is not known. The fastest bird in the world is the peregrine falcon which flies at 200 mph (321.9 kph). They have a beautiful appearance with maroon shoulder patches and an overall green plumage.

How much does an African green pigeon weigh?

Male African green pigeon weighs 0.4-0.6 lb (160-280 g), and females weigh 0.3-0.5 lb (130-220 g). The heaviest bird in the world is an ostrich which weighs 200 lb (90.7 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Male pigeons are called cocks, while female pigeons are called hens. They differ in size, with males being slightly bigger compared to females due to sexual dimorphism.

Differences in size, shape, and color between male and female animals are called sexual dimorphism. They also differ in reproductive functions. The female is more involved in raising the young compared to the male.

What would you call a baby African green pigeon?

A baby African green pigeon can be called a squab, similar to other pigeon species. The young squab is born featherless and usually blind at birth and develops through the incubation period where both males and females are equally involved in raising their young. They stay within their nest in trees until they are independent.

What do they eat?

An African green pigeon is a herbivore. They feed on various fruits, nuts, and seeds. They feed similar food to the juveniles in their nests built on trees. They are able to camouflage easily from predators when foraging for food since their overall plumage, specifically their upper parts, matches the color of trees.

Are they dangerous?

No, these birds are not dangerous. However, they are accommodative birds and are found in urban to semi-urban areas where they predominantly come to feed on fruits, seeds, and nuts. Their instant response to threats is their flight instinct.

Would they make a good pet?

No, these are innately wild birds. Pigeons as pets are extremely difficult to maintain and keep. However, there are instances of pigeons being adopted as pets. These birds are protected under animal cruelty laws. If kept as a pet, they need to be kept in a particular cage with appropriate space.

Did you know...

Birds don't have teeth. They grind their food easily because they have a specific organ called a gizzard.

Some birds can mimic humans. Apart from parrots, crows and ravens also are known to mimic humans.

Pigeons can be pink in color, in fact, there is a pink pigeon too.

How many eggs do African green pigeons lay?

The African green pigeon lays one to two eggs in the months of September to December. They build nests in a tree fork, similar to other birds and both sexes are equally involved in raising their young.

Which is the largest living bird on earth?

The largest bird living on earth is an ostrich. The heaviest bird in the world is an ostrich which weighs 200 lb (90.7 kg). They are also known for laying the biggest eggs. They are predominantly seen in Africa as well in other parts of the world.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these pigeon facts and owl facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable African green pigeon coloring pages.