During
April 1832 - Audubon visits mangrove islands, Sandy Key,
and Cape Sable.
Audubon
first saw the White-Headed Pigeon, on Bahia-honda Duck
Key.
The
White-crowned Pigeon was painted by Audubon on Indian Key
in April 1832. His assistant, Lehman did the
foliage.
White-crowned
Pigeon - ( White-Headed Pigeon)
The
White Crowned Pigeons in the image above sit upon a bough
of a Geiger tree. Audubon's assistant, George Lehman
painted the Geiger tree also known as a Cordia tree, a
tropical plant named for Key West resident, John H.
Geiger.
Part
of what Audubon writes in his Ornithological
Biography, Volume. II, pages 443-447, and 448 appear
below:
"The
White-headed Pigeon arrives on the Southern keys of
the Floridas, from the island of Cuba about the 20th
of April, sometimes not until the 1st of May, for the
purpose of residing there for a season, and rearing
its young. On the 30th of April, I shot several
immediately after their arrival from across the Gulf
Stream. "
.
. .
"By
the first of May, the young squabs are nearly able to
fly, and it is this period that the greatest havoc is
made among them. The fishermen and the wreckers visit
the keys principally resorted to by this species,
rifle all the nests they can find, and sometimes also
shoot the older birds." ( Considering the adult
birds arrival date the squabs more likely to near the
flying stage in June or July. )
"The
key on which I first saw this bird, lies about
twenty-five miles ( more like fifty ) south of
Indian Key, and is named Bahia-honda Duck
Key"
Audubon
wrote
"The
Rough-leaved Cordia
This
plant, on account of its large tubular scarlet
flowers, is one of the most beautiful of the West
Indian trees. I saw only two individuals at Key west,
where we supposed, they had been introduced from Cuba.
They were about fifteen feet high, the stem having a
diameter of only five or six inches. They were in full
bloom in the early part of may, and their broad deep
green leaves, and splendid red blossoms, mingled with
the variety of plants around me, rendered their
appearance delightful. Both trees were on private
property, and grew in a yard opposite to that of Dr.
Strobel, through whose influence I procured a large
bough, from which the drawing was made, with
assistance of Mr. Lehman. I was informed that they
continue to flower nearly the whole
summer."
Additional
information about the white-crowned pigeon may be found
by following the link below to the Florida Breeding Bird
Atlas. The Atlas, a collaborative effort of Audubon of
Florida, the Florida Ornithological Society, and the
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
provides information of general status, habitat, and
status of breeding species in Florida.
http://wildflorida.org/bba/WCPI.htm
Additional
information about the white crowned pigeon may be found
by following this link to eNature.com
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