|Photo by Nabarun Sadhya (Flickr)|
yellow-footed green-pigeon (en); pombo-verde-de-patas-amarelas (pt); colombar commandeur (fr); vinago patigualdo (es); rotschultertaube (de)
These birds occurs from eastern Pakistan, throughout India and Bangladesh, and into Nepal and Bhutan, southern China, Thailand and Vietnam.
They are 33-35 cm long.
This species is found in moist tropical forests, but also in degraded former forests, dry scrublands, rural gardens and within urban areas.
Yellow-legged green-pigeons feed on a wide variety of fruits, including several Ficus, but also seeds, buds and shoots. They are known to eat maize, taking the grain directly from the stalks.
These birds breed in March-July. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a thin platform of small twigs criss-crossed over each other. It is placed on an horizontal branch, usually not very far from the ground in a small tree or sapling but sometimes up to 15 m above the ground. The female lays 1-2 shiny white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 20-24 days. The chicks fledge 10-13 days after hatching.
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common and widespread.
The population is suspected to be increasing as ongoing habitat degradation is creating new areas of suitable habitat.