Hopi

Despite of mass extinction at the boundary of Holocene and Neocene which reasons were at first human influence, and then climatic changes, various pigeons and doves had quite successfully overpassed this boundary and had given rise to various, sometimes rather exotic new species. The majority of “atypical” pigeons and allies lives in tropics, and in areas of more severe climate species of quite recognizeable appearance live. One of these species is hopi, pigeon from North America.
Hopi is a descendant of small mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) of Holocene epoch, but it reaches 50 cm in length and seems even larger bird. Actually the significant part of length falls on its motley tail which frequently distracts attention of predator from the bird and gives hopi a chance to escape at an attack, having lost only few feathers. Feathering colouring on body is soft, monotonous pearly-grey and a little lighter on belly. But tail at this species is long, peaked and resembling pheasant’s one a little bit. Tail feathers are colored with alternating cross strips of light red and dark grey, almost black color.
Similarly to the ancestor, hopi eats various kinds of food as of animal, and of vegetable origin. At the end of summer and in autumn these pigeons willingly peck berries and even fly down on the ground to be fed. And in spring they eat mostly insects as preparation for courtship season demands more energy, and the female also must lay normal eggs. As a rule, these are flocking birds forming close flocks of 3 – 4 breeding couples. Thus it is easier to them to escape from predatory birds, mammals and snakes which are the main enemies of these birds. Flocks of birds break up only for the nesting period.
Habitat of hopi is a zone of deciduous forests at the west of North America, in Rocky Mountains foothills. These birds do not bear too bad cold and fierce heat and because of it prefer to live in a zone of temperate climate. In winter these birds migrate to the south along the ridges of Rocky Mountains. Thus they rise in mountain forests, avoiding the heat weather in foothills.
The displaying period at hopi takes place at the end of winter or in the beginning of spring as soon as birds return from wintering. For display males of this species gather on branches of trees where leaves are not completely developed yet, or on dry dead trees, and display themselves in front of females. Displaying males lingeringly coo and show the tails, lifting them upwards, and lowering heads down. At this time the craw is strongly inflated, and cooing becomes especially loud. Young birds or the birds that have lost a parthner gather at the display trees. The settled pairs are kept during several years, and in spring male displays elements of courtship behaviour only to its female.
To the beginning of summer females already finish hatching of clutch numbering 2 – 3 eggs, nestlings have time to grow the down order, and from it the first feathers start to grow. As well as other pigeon birds, hopi pigeons are bad nest builders and, as a rule, they prefer to nest in abandoned nests of other birds, rather than to build their own one. The couple of adult birds has time to bring up two hatches for a season. Young growth of last hatch keeps with their parents up to the wintering migration. The next year young birds become capable to nesting. Life expectancy of hopi is up to 8 years.

It is animal of neocene. Look in [[link]]
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