Pacific imperial pigeon
| Pacific imperial pigeon | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Columbiformes |
| Family: | Columbidae |
| Genus: | Ducula |
| Species: | D. pacifica
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ducula pacifica (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
| |
The Pacific imperial pigeon, Pacific pigeon, Pacific fruit pigeon or lupe (Ducula pacifica) is a widespread
Taxonomy
The Pacific imperial pigeon was
Two subspecies are recognised:[5]
- D. p. sejuncta Amadon, 1943 – islets off north New Guinea to Western and St. Matthias is. (northwest, north-central Bismarck Archipelago) and Nissan Island (far northeast Bismarck Archipelago)
- D. p. pacifica (Gmelin, JF, 1789) – islets of Louisiade Archipelago to Solomon Islands, Fiji (southwest Polynesia), west and American Samoa (central Polynesia), Tonga and Niue (south-central Polynesia) and Cook Islands (east Polynesia)
Description
The Pacific imperial pigeon is 36–41 cm (14–16 in) in overall length and weighs 370–420 g (13–15 oz). The back, tail and wings are blackish-green, the head and neck are light grey. The breast is grey with a pinkish tinge. The undertail coverts are brown. The bill is black with a knob on the upper mantle. The iris is red. The female is slightly smaller. The juvenile lacks the knob on the bill, is duller and lacks the pink on the breast.[7]
Distribution and habitat
Its natural
Behaviour
Food and feeding
The species is frugiverous, taking a number of different species of fruit, and occasionally leaves and flowers.[7]
Breeding
Pairs
Conservation status
The species has suffered from
In Niue this breed is called a Lupe. It is a delicacy for the locals. It is now protected but people still hunt them. It is unknown where they breed or come from as no evidence of their nests have ever been found in Niue.
References
- . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ Gmelin, Johann Friedrich (1789). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae : secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 2 (13th ed.). Lipsiae [Leipzig]: Georg. Emanuel. Beer. p. 777.
- ^ Latham, John (1783). A General Synopsis of Birds. Vol. 2, Part 1. London: Printed for Leigh and Sotheby. p. 633.
- ^ Hodgson, Brian Houghton (1836). "Notices of the ornithology of Nepal". Asiatic Researches, or, Transactions of the Society Instituted in Bengal. 19: 143–192 [160].
- ^ Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2022). "Pigeons". IOC World Bird List Version 12.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ^ ISBN 978-84-87334-22-1.