Sri Lanka Green-Pigeon Treron pompadora Scientific name definitions

27–28 cm. Forehead  , face and throat  bright yellow-green becoming pale soft green on breast  and belly, and greyish green on hindneck; crown bluish grey; mantle, scapulars and lesser wing-coverts dark purplish chestnut; rest of wing black, with yellow edges to median and greater coverts  and secondaries; rump  and central rectrices yellowish olive-green; outer rectrices dark grey washed olive at base, with blackish central band and broad pale grey terminal band; undertail-coverts whitish marked grey-green; eye-rims green; bill  bluish grey or pale grey, greenish at base; legs and feet red or purplish red. Female olive-green where male is purplish chestnut ; separated from T. bicinctus by yellower face, grey crown but greener nape and upperparts, narrower yellow fringes to wing-coverts, paler green posterior underparts and green-and-white undertail-coverts (versus rufous). Juvenile very similar to adult female, but duller with smaller yellow throat-patch, darker hindcrown and mantle, greener tertials, broader and more rounded yellow fringes to wing-coverts, and more distinct white outer webs to primaries. Size very similar to T. affinis (wing 142–151 mm, versus 127–145 mm in latter species).

Traditionally treated as comprising eight or more races; however, proposal by some recent authors (1 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Volumes 1 and 2. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA and Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close , 2 Collar, N.J. (2011). Species limits in some Philippine birds including the Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus. Forktail. 27: 29–38. Close ) to rearrange into six species is followed here, with recognition of T. phayrei, T. chloropterus, T. axillaris and T. aromaticus, as well as T. affinis, which was not even recognized as a race in HBW. Members of this group are closely related to T. curvirostra; species limits in this whole complex, also including T. griseicauda, T. teysmannii, T. floris and T. psittaceus, have been discussed by a number of authorities, but remain unclear. The present species differs from T. affinis, of western India, on account of its yellow (not whitish) forehead (2); white (not creamy-brown) undertail-coverts of male (3); duller brown back and green rump (1); longer bill, tail and tarsus but shorter, less rounded wing (at least 2); and “striking vocal differences” (at least 1) (1 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Volumes 1 and 2. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA and Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ). Monotypic.

Sri Lanka.

Resident in forest and woodland, as well as open areas with tall trees and wooded cultivation, in lowlands, foothills and up to mid-elevations (to 1000 m), though local and uncommon at upper edge of this altitudinal range; commoner in the dry zone (3 Warakagoda, D., C. Inskipp, T. Inskipp, and R. Grimmett (2012). Birds of Sri Lanka. Helm Field Guides. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Resident, with some local and altitudinal movements governed by food availability. Flight swift and direct, sometimes with sharp twists and abrupt turns when frightened.

Frugivorous, taking a wide variety of fruits; figs (Moraceae) and Zizyphus (Rhamnaceae) reported to be important. Typically arboreal an observed in small flocks of 12 or more birds, but may congregate in large flocks at abundant food sources or roosts. 

Song a long, fluctuating, mellow, human-like whistle (3 Warakagoda, D., C. Inskipp, T. Inskipp, and R. Grimmett (2012). Birds of Sri Lanka. Helm Field Guides. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), comprising 3–4 prolonged, low-level notes alternating with 7–9 quick convex notes, with the highest note midway through the series, which ends abruptly on a stressed note, and in total lasts 7–8 seconds at rate of 1–2 notes/second, with a pause of several seconds between each series (like other members of the species-complex). Has very different pattern to song than T. phayrei, T. affinis and T. chloropterus, being slower, calmer, lower-pitched and more drawn-out than any of these. Other calls include a series of short, rhythmic bursts of rapid clicking sounds, each burst followed by a short, downslurred dry croaks.

Season mainly Dec–Jun. Nest a flimsy platform of twigs in a moderate-sized tree, usually less than 4 m up; often quite exposed; sexes share nestbuilding. Lays two white eggs; incubation 12–14 days, by both sexes.

Not globally threatened. Population size is unknown but it is widespread and locally fairly common (3 Warakagoda, D., C. Inskipp, T. Inskipp, and R. Grimmett (2012). Birds of Sri Lanka. Helm Field Guides. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).