½
8662 ♂
8663 ♂ ½
Columba leucocephala.
Hab. Southern Keys of Florida (including Indian Key) and West Indies generally. Honduras (Moore, P. Z. S. 1859, 61); Santa Cruz (Newton, Ibis, I, 253); Cuba (Cab. J. IV, 107); Bahamas (Bryant, Pr. Bost. Soc. VII, 1859); Jamaica (Gosse, B. J. 299); Porto Rico (Taylor, Ibis, 1864, 171); Cuba (Gundl. Repert. I, 1866, 298); Santa Bartholemy (Sund. Ofv. 1869, 585).
Habits. The White-headed Pigeon occurs in the more southern of the keys of Florida, but, so far as I am aware, has never been taken on any part of the mainland. It is an abundant species in Cuba, Jamaica, and in most of the other West India Islands.
This Dove, according to Audubon, arrives on the southern keys of Florida about the 20th of April, sometimes not until the first of May. On the 30th of April he shot several just after their arrival from across the Gulf Stream. He noticed them as they approached the shore, skimming along the surface of the water, and flying with great rapidity, in the manner of the House Pigeon. As they approached the land they rose to about a hundred yards, flying in circles as if to survey the country. To procure specimens, it was necessary to force them out from the dark retreats in which they had alighted. They were at all times exceedingly shy and wary, probably on account of the war that is incessantly waged against them, their flesh being very juicy and finely flavored. This shyness is only partially abated even during the breeding-season, as they will silently slide from their nest when sitting, if it is approached, and retreat to the dark shade of the mangroves, and do not return for an interval to their charge. They were more abundant in the more southern keys, except the sterile Tortugas.
According to Mr. March, there are two varieties of this Pigeon, known as the Baldpate in Jamaica, distinguished as the Mountain and the Mangrove Baldpate. The latter he has never met with in the mountains, but both kinds resort at all times to the lowlands and mangrove-swamps along the coasts, and to the neighboring islands and keys (Pigeon Island and the two Goat Islands in particular), where they breed in numbers, making their nests in trees, some at high elevations, others so low as to be within reach of a person standing, according to the convenience of the site. Large numbers of squabs are often taken from these places and brought into the towns for sale. They feed in company in the morning and afternoon, and as they often feed at a distance from their roosting-places, large flocks are sometimes seen in the early morning and evening passing and repassing overhead, sometimes in high, at other times in low flight, going to and returning from the feeding-ground or convenient watering-place. Their food is grain, fruit, and berries, nuts and seeds; and they commit serious depredations on the Guinea-corn fields, not only by the quantity they devour, but by breaking down the brittle cornstalks with the weight of their bodies. They are easily kept in confinement, and often breed and become quiet and contented, but take the earliest opportunity of emancipation. The nest is a platform of sticks and twigs loosely put together, and bedded with softer materials, with a slight hollow in the centre. The eggs are two, glarish-white in color, varying in form and dimensions, but usually long oval, measuring 1.63 inches in length by 1.13 in breadth.
According to Mr. Leyland (Ibis, I, p. 222) this Pigeon inhabits the keys or small islands on the coast of Honduras.