Cream-breasted fruit dove

Last updated

Cream-breasted fruit dove
Cream-bellied Fruit Dove ssp merilli.jpg
Cream-breasted Fruit Dove merilli seen in the wild in South Sierra Madre.
Ptilinopus merrilli 1979 stamp of the Philippines.jpg
A stamp of the merilli sub-species
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Ptilinopus
Species:
P. merrilli
Binomial name
Ptilinopus merrilli
(McGregor, 1916)
Synonyms

Cream-bellied Fruit Dove

The cream-breasted fruit dove (Ptilinopus merrilli) or cream-bellied fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is a large and primarily greenish dove with a distinctive red wing patch and cream coloured breast which it was named after. It is endemic to the Philippines found only on the islands of Luzon, Catanduanes and Polillo Islands. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland to montane forests of up to 1,300 masl. It is threatened by habitat loss, and trapping for the pet trade.

Contents

It is illegal to hunt, capture or keep cream-breasted fruit-doves under Philippine Law RA 9147. [2]

Description and taxonomy

Described on Ebird as "A fairly large dove of lowland and low-elevation montane forest. Has green upperparts to the back of the neck, a gray head and chest, a creamy belly, and white under the base of the tail, scalloped green. Note the purple spot across the flight feathers. The race from northern Luzon has a dark red crown. Similar to Black-chinned Fruit-Dove, but Cream-breasted has a narrow chest band and a cream rather than green belly. Song is a drawn-out, deep quavering “brrrrrrr.” [3] This species does not exhibit sexual dimorphism.

The cream-breasted fruit dove is one of over 50 species in the genus Ptilinopus . Within the genus, it is most closely allied with the flame-breasted fruit dove. [4]

It was formerly placed in the obsolete genus Leucotreron . [4] The species' generic name comes from the Greek ptilon (feather) and pous (foot), while the specific epithet is in honor of Elmer Drew Merrill, an American botanist. [5] Alternative names for the cream-breasted fruit dove include Merrill's fruit dove. [6]

Subspecies

Ecology and behavior

It is a frugivore. Usually occurs singly or in small groups even with other doves. Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings that are characteristic of pigeons in general.

Breeding mainly occurs in May to June, which is generally the breeding time for Philippine forest birds. Nests have been found with a single egg, but there is not enough data to assume average clutch size [8]

Habitat and conservation status

Its natural habitat is moist tropical primary forest up to 1,300 meters above sea level.

The IUCN has classified this species as near-threatened with the population on the declinedue to deforestation from land conversion, Illegal logging and slash-and-burn farming. This species also experiences hunting pressure for both meat and the pet trade. Birds of the World believe that this species should be uplisted to vulnerable as it has always been considered uncommon even in 1946 and has a fairly limited range despite being found across Luzon. More studies and surveys are recommended to better understand its biology, population and conservation status.

It is found in multiple protected areas such as Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, Bulusan Volcano Natural Park, Mount Banahaw, Aurora Memorial National Park and Kalbario–Patapat Natural Park but despite this legal protection, deforestation and hunting continues even within these areas. [4] [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jambu fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The jambu fruit dove is a smallish colourful fruit dove. It is a resident breeding species in southern Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and the Indonesian islands of Kalimantan, Sumatra and Java. It is a monotypic species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink-bellied imperial pigeon</span> Species of bird

The pink-bellied imperial pigeon, also known as the zone-tailed pigeon, is found in the Philippines. It is a large and striking dove reaching sizes of up to 42cm long. The pink-bellied imperial pigeon is mostly dark green, with a pale gray head, an appropriately pink belly, and a brown, black, and gray pattern on its tail. Its eyes and eye ceres are red. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-chinned fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The black-chinned fruit dove, also known as the black-throated fruit dove or Leclancher's dove. It is found in the lowland forests of the Philippines and Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallace's fruit dove</span> Species of pigeon endemic to Indonesia

Wallace's fruit dove 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. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange dove</span> Species of bird endemic to Fiji

The orange dove or orange fruit dove is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae. One of the most colorful doves, the male has a golden olive head and elongated bright orange "hair-like" body feathers. The golden-olive remiges are typically covered by the long orange wing coverts when perched. The legs, bill and orbital skin are bluish-green and the iris is whitish. The female is a dark green bird with blackish tail and orange-yellow undertail coverts. The young resemble females.

The spotted imperial pigeon, also known as the grey-necked imperial pigeon, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. Endemic to the Philippines, it lives in forests and forest edges but goes down to the limestone shorelines possibly to feed. It is a vulnerable species threatened by habitat loss and hunting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-bellied imperial pigeon</span> Species of bird from Indonesia

The white-bellied imperial pigeon is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae. First described by the French ornithologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854, it is endemic to Indonesia, where it is found on Sulawesi, Buton, Taliabu, Togian, and Peleng. It inhabits primary forest, dense secondary forest, and isolated areas of hill forest. A large pigeon with a long tail, it measures 42.5–51.5 cm (16.7–20.3 in) long and weighs 510 g (18 oz) on average. Males are mainly green, with pale-grey heads and bellies, chestnut vents, and a pale grey tail band, along with a red orbital ring. Females are nearly identical, but have darker grey areas in their plumage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spectacled imperial pigeon</span> Species of bird

The spectacled imperial pigeon is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Maluku Islands.

The Wetar ground dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae found on Wetar, Indonesia, and on Timor. Its natural habitats are monsoon forests and gallery forests, and possibly woodland and bamboos. Threatened by habitat loss and hunting, the species is assessed as endangered by the IUCN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pale mountain pigeon</span> Species of bird in the Solomon Islands

The pale mountain pigeon is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago, where it inhabits old-growth and secondary montane forest. It is a medium-size pigeon with an average length of 38 cm (15 in) and a weight of 310–385 g (10.9–13.6 oz). The head and neck are whitish-grey, the belly and lower breast are buffy-pink, and the vent and undertail coverts are pale grey. The upperparts are smoky-grey with darker fringes on the mantle and wing coverts. Both sexes look similar, but there can be large variation in individual appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Negros fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The Negros fruit dove is a species of bird in the pigeon and dove family, Columbidae. It is endemic to the island of Negros in the Philippines. This fruit dove is known from a single female specimen collected from the slopes of Mount Kanlaon in the northern part of the island. While it was found at a high elevation, it is suspected that the species originally lived in the lowland dipterocarp forests and was driven to higher elevations by habitat destruction. While some have suggested that the specimen is either a runt or a hybrid instead of a valid species, this is not widely accepted. The female Negros fruit dove was a small fruit dove with vivid dark green plumage and an ashy-grey forehead. It had a distinctive ring of bare yellow skin around its eye, and yellow fringes to some of its feathers gave it the appearance of having a yellow wingbar when perched. The throat was white, while the undertail and vent were yellow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-headed fruit dove</span> Species of bird endemic to the Solomon Islands

The white-headed fruit dove is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae. It was described by the English ornithologist John Gould in 1856, and the specific name eugeniae honours the French empress Eugénie de Montijo. Adults of the species have white heads, a purplish-red breast patch, a grey shoulder patch, olive-green upperparts, greenish underparts with a blue tinge, and a yellowish vent. Juveniles have green heads with the white restricted to the forehead and upper throat, a much smaller grey shoulder patch, and the red breast patch restricted to the centre of the breast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knob-billed fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The knob-billed fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flame-breasted fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The flame-breasted fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Philippines where it is only found in the mountains of Luzon. It is the largest fruit dove in the country and rivals the size of Imperial pigeons. It is identified with its red hood, black wings with a red patch on its secondaries and its unmistakable flame-coloured breast. Its natural habitats are in upper areas of the tropical moist lowland forest and in mid to upper montane forest. It is threatened by habitat loss, poaching for the pet trade and hunting for food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwarf fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The dwarf fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in lowland and foothill forest in New Guinea and the Raja Ampat Islands.The dwarf fruit dove weighs 49 grams, about equivalent to the weight of two AA batteries. This bird is the smallest in length of the fruit dove genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-breasted fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The yellow-breasted fruit dove locally known as balorinay is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. While it is listed as least concern in IUCN, it is declining due to habitat loss, hunting, and trapping for the illegal wildlife trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palau fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The Palau fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to Palau and it is also Palau's national bird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-green fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The grey-green fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Society Islands in French Polynesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black cuckoo-dove</span> Species of bird from the Lesser Sunda Islands

The black cuckoo-dove or black dove, also known as the slaty cuckoo dove, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Lesser Sunda Islands, being found on Timor, Wetar, Rote, and Atauro. It inhabits primary and secondary monsoon forest, eucalyptus forest, and woodlands. It is 38.5 cm (15.2 in) long on average and is mainly dark bluish-gray, lighter on the head and underparts and darker on the wings and tail. It has yellow orbital skin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fruit dove</span> Genus of birds

The fruit doves, also known as fruit pigeons, are a genus (Ptilinopus) of birds in the pigeon and dove family (Columbidae). These colourful, frugivorous doves are found in forests and woodlands in Southeast Asia and Oceania. It is a large genus with over 50 species, some threatened or already extinct.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Ptilinopus merrilli". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. 11th Congress. "Republic Act No. 9147". Official Gazette of the Philippines.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)[ permanent dead link ]
  3. 1 2 "Cream-breasted Fruit-Dove - eBird". ebird.org. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Baptista, Luis F.; Trail, Pepper W.; Horblit, H. M.; Boesman, Peter F. D.; Garcia, Ernest (2020-03-04). "Cream-breasted Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus merrilli)". Birds of the World.
  5. Jobling, James A. (2010). Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm. pp. 255, 322. ISBN   978-1-4081-3326-2.
  6. Gibbs & Barnes 2010, p. 462.
  7. Gibbs & Barnes 2010, p. 463.
  8. Baptista, Luis F.; Trail, Pepper W.; Horblit, H. M.; Boesman, Peter F. D.; Garcia, Ernest (2020). "Cream-breasted Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus merrilli), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.crbfrd1.01species_shared.bow.project_name. ISSN   2771-3105.

Cited text