Wallace's fruit dove
Wallace's fruit dove | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Columbiformes |
Family: | Columbidae |
Genus: | Ptilinopus |
Species: | P. wallacii
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Binomial name | |
Ptilinopus wallacii Gray, 1858
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Wallace's fruit dove (Ptilinopus wallacii) is a species of a bird in the pigeon family Columbidae. The name commemorates the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. It is a rather large, long-tailed fruit dove with a length of 24–28 cm (9.4–11.0 in) and has been described as "one of the most beautiful" fruit doves.[2] The forehead and crown are dull crimson, the lower face and throat are white, and the rest of the head, breast, neck, and upper back are pale bluish-grey. The wings and lower back are green and the belly is orange, separated from the chest by a white band. Both sexes look similar, but females have less extensive red on the head and a greenish tinge to their grey parts.
Taxonomy and systematics
Wallace's fruit dove was
Wallace's fruit dove is one of over 50 species in the fruit dove genus
tannensis group |
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Description
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/PtilonopusWallaciiWolf.jpg/220px-PtilonopusWallaciiWolf.jpg)
Wallace's fruit dove is a large, long-tailed fruit dove with a length of 24–28 cm (9.4–11.0 in). It has been described as "one of the most beautiful" fruit doves.[2] The forehead and crown are dull crimson, sometimes extending to the back of the neck, and the lower face and throat are white. The rest of the head, neck, breast, and upper mantle are pale bluish-grey, separated from the orange belly patch by a white band. The shoulder patch is golden-bronze, while the mantle and inner wing coverts are bluish-grey with yellow edges that give a scaled appearance. The primaries and secondaries are dark shiny green, the latter having narrow yellow edges, while the back, rump, and uppertail coverts are yellowish-green. The flanks and vent are mixed pale yellow and green. The central tail feathers green with a whitish band at the end, while the outer ones are darker with a greyish band. The iris is light red with a yellow to green inner ring, the orbital skin is bluish, and the feet are purplish to pinkish. The bill is yellow-greenish yellow with a paler tip. Females are similar to males, but have a greenish tinge to the grey on the neck and breast and a less intense orange belly patch. Juveniles have green edging on the crown, yellow-tipped green feathers on the mantle and wing coverts, and a green wash on the breast and mantle.[2][8]
The beautiful fruit dove (P. pulchellus) looks similar, but is smaller, more compact, and has a shorter tail, with a purple instead of white band, less extensive red on the head, and orange-yellow undertail coverts. The upperparts are unmarked deep green. The rose-crowned fruit dove (P. regina) is also similar, but is smaller and more compact with a less extensive pink or pale greyish-purple crown patch bordered with yellow, a pale purple patch separating the breast and belly, rusty-orange undertail coverts, and a well-marked yellow band on the tail.[2]
The species is usually silent, but has been recorded giving a loud, melancholy oooo... ooo ooo ooo, with the longest pause between the first and second note. A short woo is also made in excitement. A pigeon on Tanimbar presumed to be from this species was recorded making a repeated hooooow-huwuu, hoooow-huwuu, with the second note slightly shorter and higher-pitched.[2][8]
Distribution and habitat
Wallace's fruit dove is found on the
The species inhabits lowland forests near rivers and the coast, including
Behaviour and ecology
Wallace's fruit dove is frequently seen alone or in pairs, although it is a social fruit dove and forms flocks of 5–26 birds. On Tanimbar, it is easily noticeable, often flying over roads and clearings or perching in open trees.[2] Its generation length (average age of parents in the current population) was reported as being 3.2 years in 2016.[1]
The species feeds on small fruit and berries, plucking these directly from branches.[2] It makes a flimsy nest out of twigs in tree branches.[8] One observed nest was made in November.[9]
Status
Wallace's fruit dove is listed as being of
References
- ^ . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ OCLC 701718514.
- Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. London: Academic Press. p. 185.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ^ . Retrieved 2022-01-25.
- ^ OCLC 936447561.
- PMID 24012584.
- ^ S2CID 241204625. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
- ^ Noske, Richard A. (2017). "The dearth of information on the breeding habits of Wallacean birds, and why we should care about it". BirdingASIA. 27: 28.
External links
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