Pale-capped Pigeon (Columba punicea)
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Columba punicea |
| IUCN Status | Vulnerable (Population: Declining due to habitat loss & hunting) |
| Distribution | NE India (Assam), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam |
| Habitat | Evergreen forests (up to 1,600m), bamboo thickets, forest-edge fields |
| Features | - Dark purplish-maroon body with green/amethyst sheen - Males: Pale grey cap - Females: Brown-grey cap - Diet: Frugivore (feeds on canopy fruits/seeds) |
| Significance | First photographic record in Assam in 110 years (Last seen: 1912) |
**Dehing Patkai National Park: **
- Location: Dibrugarh & Tinsukia (Assam), foothills of Patkai Range (Indo-Myanmar border).
- River: Dehing River (Brahmaputra tributary).
- Unique Title: "Amazon of the East" – India’s largest tropical lowland rainforest.
- Biodiversity:
- Flora: Hollong, Nahor, Orchids, Ferns, Bamboo.
- Fauna: Tigers, Leopards, Elephants, Clouded Leopards, Hoolock Gibbons.
- Ethnic Groups: Tai Phake, Singpho, Nocte, Moran, Nepali settlers.
- Climate: High rainfall (4,000+ mm/year), tropical.