Afep Pigeon vs Ruddy Cuckoo-Dove

Columba unicincta compared with Macropygia emiliana

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Afep Pigeon Ruddy Cuckoo-Dove
Scientific Name Columba unicincta Macropygia emiliana
Order Columbiformes Columbiformes
Family Columbidae Columbidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 42.2 cm (16.6 in) 34.2 cm (13.5 in)
Weight 401.5 g (14.16 oz) 161.0 g (5.68 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1 1
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Afep Pigeon only

None

Ruddy Cuckoo-Dove only

None

Song & Call Comparison

Afep Pigeon

Song

Deep, resonant cooing; rich notes with carrying quality through dense humid African forest. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Ruddy Cuckoo-Dove

Song

Soft, gentle cooing; pure warm notes carrying through dense African forest habitat. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Afep Pigeon

Least Concern

Ruddy Cuckoo-Dove

How to Tell Them Apart

Afep Pigeon

Plumage

Afep Pigeon: pale gray; white neck gloss; dark flight feathers; large size; Central African rainforest pigeon; pale overall

Ruddy Cuckoo-Dove

About These Birds

Afep Pigeon

Afep Pigeon (Columba unicincta) — 36–40 cm. Large; dark grey; single narrow black ring on hindneck; pale grey rump. Inhabits canopy of rainforest in West and Central Africa. Frugivore; feeds on forest fruits. Poorly known; an upper-canopy species seldom studied at close range.

Ruddy Cuckoo-Dove

Slender cuckoo-dove, 35–38 cm, with rufous-cinnamon plumage, finely barred back and wings, and a long tail. Confined to the forests of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, and adjacent islands). Frugivore of small forest fruits and berries. Formerly considered conspecific with the Amboyna Cuckoo-dove. Least Concern.

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