Pheasant pigeon

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Pheasant pigeon
White-naped pheasant pigeon
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Otidiphaps
Gould, 1870
Species:
O. nobilis
Binomial name
Otidiphaps nobilis
Gould, 1870

The pheasant pigeon (Otidiphaps nobilis) is a species of large

lowlands
.

Taxonomy and systematics

The genus name makes reference to its similarities to the bustard family (Otidae). Its common name reflects its adaptation to living on the forest floor in the fashion of a South East Asian pheasant.

Subspecies

Commonly, there are four subspecies recognized that differ primarily in the presence or absence of a small crest and in the colour of the nape:[2]

  • White-naped pheasant pigeon (O. n. aruensis) – Rothschild, 1928: Found on the
    Aru Islands, Vulnerable[3]
  • Green-naped pheasant pigeon (O. n. nobilis) – Gould, 1870: Found on western New Guinea, Batanta and Waigeo Islands, Least concern.[1]
  • Grey-naped pheasant pigeon (O. n. cervicalis) – Ramsay, EP, 1880: Found on eastern and south-eastern New Guinea, Least concern.[4]
  • Black-naped pheasant pigeon (O. n. insularis) – Salvin & Godman, 1883: Found on Fergusson Island, Critically Endangered.[5]

Some authors, however, recognize the four subspecies as four different species, a classification scheme followed by the IUCN.[6][1]

Description

The pheasant pigeon resembles a pheasant in external

egg that it incubates for around four weeks. Both adults incubate and look after the young, feeding regurgitated crop milk
to their young (a common practice for most pigeons).

They have a range of calls including a drilling-like sound, a typical pigeon cooing call and a loud "wu-huwoooooa" call that rises and falls in pitch before trailing off at the end.

They are found in rainforest habitats, eating fallen fruits and seeds, in the Aru Islands. As they avoid human settlements, the little that is known about their behavior comes from observation at zoos.

  • O. n. nobilis
    O. n. nobilis
  • O. n. nobilis in a zoo
    O. n. nobilis in a zoo
  • O. n. insularis
    O. n. insularis
  • Captive O. n. aruensis (vulnerable)
    Captive O. n. aruensis (vulnerable)

Status and conservation

It is believed that the species is slowly declining due to

critically endangered and the white-naped pheasant pigeon is vulnerable. The black-naped pheasant pigeon was for a long time known to science only from the type specimen collected in 1882,[7] and for the ensuing 140 years thought to be extinct,[8] but was then captured with a trail camera in late 2022 by researchers on Fergusson Island.[9][10]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22725247A94888276.en
    . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2018). "Pigeons". World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  3. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22728031A94968761.en
    . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  4. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22725258A94888451.en
    . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  5. ^ BirdLife International (2021). "Otidiphaps insularis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T22726273A216252040. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  6. ^ Comparison of IOC 8.1 with other world lists, by IOC World Bird List: http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ioc-lists/master-list-2/ Archived 2016-10-02 at the Wayback Machine
  7. S2CID 221823968
    .
  8. ^ Leonard, Pat (17 November 2022). "Lost pigeon found after more than a century". Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
  9. ^ Kobilinsky, Dana (2022-11-21). "Watch: Rare bird recorded after 140 year-absence to science". The Wildlife Society. Archived from the original on 2023-09-04. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  10. ^ Sottile, Zoe (19 November 2022). "This bird hadn't been documented by scientists since 1882. Then they captured video of it in Papua New Guinea". CNN. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  • del Hoyo, Elliott and Sargatal (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol 4.
    ISBN 84-87334-22-9
    ,

External links
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