Lincoln Park Zoo

Common name: Bleeding-heart pigeon
Latin Name: Gallicolumba luzonica

Class: Birds
Order:    Columbiformes

Description
This small pigeon gets its name from the irregular red markings on its chest. Zoo visitors often mistake this vivid coloration for an actual wound, but the red spot is shared by all members of the species. A white breast and a gray back with black wing bands provide a contrast to the bleeding-heart pigeon’s bright chest plumage.

Range
The bleeding-heart pigeon can be found on the northern Philippines islands of Luzon and Polillo.

Status
Habitat loss and overhunting have impacted the bleeding-heart pigeon population, resulting in a near-threatened status.

Habitat
This island bird spends most of its time on the forest floor, where it forages for food. Nesting occurs in low trees and shrubbery, and dense vegetation is used as cover from predators.

Niche
The bleeding-heart pigeon feeds on seeds, berries, insects and worms that it finds on the forest floor.

Life History
The male attracts mates by puffing out his chest to display his bright red markings. Both parents cooperate in incubating the two eggs the female lays. After the eggs hatch, the bleeding heart pigeon, like all pigeons, feeds its young “crop milk.” This milk-like substance is produced in the digestive system of males and females to provide nutrients to offspring. Despite the name, crop milk is different from true milk, which only mammals produce.

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