The pale-capped pigeon (Columba punicea) is a species of large pigeon that is found patchily distributed in parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is also known as the purple wood pigeon. In the past, it had a wide distribution but is now recorded in most of its range as uncommon and unusual (read comprehensive account of species). The IUCN and Birdlife International list it as Vulnerable. It has a sluggish flight and spends a great deal of time still sitting in the foliage of large fruiting trees, mostly on the plains in riverine forest. This is mainly brown above and chestnut with a black or amethyst shine below. The male pale-capped pigeon plumage includes the pale grey crown which gives rise to the common name of this species. The upperparts are generally deep purplish-maroon, changing to a faint green on the neck. The wings and tail are largely blackish, and also the underparts are brown. The eyes and also the base of the bill are ringed with vibrant red. The feminine pale-capped pigeon is smaller than the male and, just like the juvenile, is way duller. The plumage is browner everywhere, and therefore the head could be a much darker brown-grey. The legs are crimson and the iris is creamy-yellow in adults. The skin around the eyes and also the ceres are magenta. Some taxonomists have grouped it together with Columba Argentina which are both Old World pigeons that lack patterns on the rear of the neck.
The pale-capped pigeon is usually individually observed, or in very small flocks. The main component of the diet of the pale-capped pigeon is a fruit found throughout the forest, such as figs and berries, foraging for food in both the trees and on the ground. Seeds and grain also are important, and it is seen feeding in rice fields after the harvest. it’s also been known to eat grit, which helps to grind up food within the stomach. they’re found mainly on the forests of the plains. It frequents a good sort of habitats from the lowlands up to 1,600 m, chiefly primary or secondary evergreen forest, but also open, deciduous dipterocarp forest, bamboo, and agricultural fields, particularly in close proximity to the forest. The pale-capped pigeon lays eggs between May and June in India and Myanmar and some months earlier in Laos and Vietnam. The nest is constructed about two to three meters off the ground in a small bush or tree and is made of twigs and sticks collected from the forest floor. There is usually just one egg laid, although sometimes there maybe two. The eggs are also incubated by male and female birds. These pigeons fly about in small groups, foraging mainly within the morning and evening. They’re said to possess an occasional call the same as that of Ducula aenea but shorter and fewer prolonged. The pale-capped pigeon occurs in scattered populations in Southeast Asia; its range includes parts of northern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
