Читать книгу A Manual of Philippine Birds - Richard C. McGregor - Страница 38

Tip of bill horny and strongly convex forming a “nail” which is often of a shade or color different from that of the soft, contracted, basal portion; covering of nostril generally tumid; toes four, three in front, cleft to the base or with a slight web; hind toe not elevated; legs and toes never much lengthened; tarsus either slightly longer or slightly shorter than middle toe without claw; wing flat and rather long; in several genera the primaries variously cut or attenuated; tail usually square or slightly rounded; never forked; in Macropygia and Geopelia the rectrices are greatly graduated. A few genera are terrestrial, but most of them are more or less arboreal and generally capable of strong, swift, and sustained flight. Their food is largely grain and small seeds; the larger species feed on the fruits of trees, rarely on the leaves. The nest is a slight structure of twigs placed on the ground, in a shrub, or in a tall tree. Eggs one or two, pure white or slightly cream-colored; in shape rather long, equal ended, ovals.