# Scaly-naped Pigeon

Scientific name: Patagioenas squamosa

Bird group: [pigeon](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/pigeon)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/52/Scaly-naped-Pigeon

## Identification

The scaly-naped pigeon (Patagioenas squamosa), also known as the red-necked pigeon, is a bird belonging to the family Columbidae. The species occurs throughout the Caribbean.


## Distribution and habitat

The Scaly-naped Pigeon is a common to fairly common year-
round resident on Puerto Rico, 
the Virgin Islands, and other 
islands of the Lesser Antilles, 
as well as the mountain forests 
of the Dominican Republic and 
Haiti (Raffaele and others 1998). Its range is limited to the West 
Indies and islands off the north 
coast of Venezuela (Raffaele and 
others 1998). In Puerto Rico, 
it can be observed throughout 
the main island (Raffaele 1989a) 
and larger offshore islands 
such as Desecheo (Meier and 
others 1989), Mona (Barnés 
1946, Bowdish 1902, Gordon 
and others 1961, Terborgh 
and Faaborg 1973), Culebra 
(Wetmore 1917), and Vieques 
(Sorrié 1975, USFWS 1994, 
Wetmore 1916), in the latter 
being a fairly common resident 
(Gemmill 2015). It is an irregular 
visitor to Puerto Ricos offshore 
islands (Raffaele 1989a). This 
species usually occurs in humid 
forests (Bond 1961, Oberle 2018), 
coffee plantations (Biaggi 1997), 
and parks, sometimes moving into urban areas to feed on fruits 
(J.A. Salguero-Faría, personal 
observation 2009). Systematic 
surveys of the pigeon indicate 
that the species is most abundant 
in moist and wet life zones and 
rarer in the subtropical life zone 
(Rivera-Milán 1992). The atlas 
fieldwork yielded a total of 653 
records within 325 hexagons 
or 68 percent of the 479 total 
hexagons (see map). Of the 325 
hexagons where this species 
was found, breeding met the 
atlas definition of confirmed in 
7 percent (22) of the hexagons, 
probable in 45 percent (145), 
and possible in 48 percent (155), 
while the species was observed 
in 1 percent (3) of the hexagons 
but without evidence of breeding 
(see map).Scaly-naped Pigeon distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in 
Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.       43Scaly-naped Pigeon/Paloma Turca

## Breeding

The Scaly-naped Pigeon usually builds a frail stick nest in a 
tree or bush, but the nest can 
also be constructed on a palm 
frond or a bromeliad (Raffaele 
and others 1998). Previously 
published reports indicate that 
the Scaly-naped Pigeon breeds 
throughout the year but primarily 
from March to June (Raffaele 
and others 1998). On Puerto 
Rico and its satellite islands, 
columbid nesting season extends 
from February to September, 
but nest density peaks during 
April–June, and year-round 
nesting is infrequent (Rivera-
Milán 1996). Atlas results show 
that this species breeding season extends throughout the year 
with the most breeding activity 
from March to June (see chart). 
Breeding activity peaks in June 
after the onset of the rainy 
season, and it mostly takes place 
in the subtropical moist forest life 
zone (see chart). Results show 
that this species breeds mostly 
within the subtropical moist 
forest life zone (59 percent of the 
hexagons) (see table). However, 
results indicate that it also breeds 
at higher elevations within the 
subtropical wet forest life zones 
(26 percent of the hexagons), 
as well as in the coastal plains 
of the subtropical dry forest 
life zone (15 percent of the 
hexagons) (see table and map).

## Conservation

The current population trend of the Scaly-naped Pigeon 
is described as decreasing 
(del Hoyo and others 2013). 
However, this species is currently 
listed as a species of least 
concern by the IUCN (BirdLife 
International 2016). Locally, 
this species is not listed in any 
of the threatened categories of 
PRDNER and USFWS. In Puerto 
Rico, the Scaly-naped Pigeon has 
a protected habitat in land of 13 
percent or 981 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons 
where evidence of breeding 
was found for this species 
(7699 km2). 

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_052_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_052_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.