The Polynesian ground dove or Society Islands ground dove (Pampusana erythroptera) or Tutururu is a critically endangered species of bird in the family Columbidae. Originally endemic to the Society Islands and Tuamotus in French Polynesia, it has now been extirpated from most of its former range by habitat loss and predation by introduced species such as cats and rats, and the species is now endemic only in the Acteon islands. The total population is estimated to be around 100-120 birds.
This species was formerly placed in the genus AlopecoenasSharpe, 1899, but the name of the genus was changed in 2019 to PampusanaBonaparte, 1855 as this name was found to have priority.[7][8]
Numerous forms of the Polynesian ground dove have been depicted from the various islands and atolls that used to make up its range; however, most of the original specimens have been lost and are now represented only by paintings, and some of the proposed forms may be from inaccurate descriptions and paintings.[9] Only one subspecies is generally recognized: the nominate subspecies, Pampusana erythroptera erythroptera, which was described by Gmelin in 1789 and was originally found on Tahiti, Moorea, Maria Est, Marutea Sud, Matureivavao, Rangiroa, Tenararo, Tenarunga, Vanavana, Hao, Hiti, and Tahanea.[10]P. e. albicollis, which was described by Tommaso Salvadori in 1892, was used for the birds found on Hao, Hiti, and probably Tahanea, but is now thought to be a color morph and was synonymized with P. e. erythroptera in 2022 by the International Ornithological Congress.[10][11][12] A third subspecies was initially described as G. e. pectoralis in 1848 by Titian Peale from a female specimen collected on Arakita; however, as no male specimen was described from the island, it is impossible to ascribe this bird to a specific subspecies and G. e. pectoralis was declared invalid.[10] The Polynesian ground dove is only known from female specimens for the remainder of its range, and therefore the populations from these islands are not ascribable to a subspecies.[10]
The Polynesian ground dove is also known locally as the Tutururu, as well as the Tuamotu ground dove, the white-collared ground dove, the white-breasted ground dove, the Society ground dove, the Society Islands ground dove, and the Tuamotu Islands ground dove.[9]
Description
Illustration of a specimen from Moorea by William Ellis, 1770s
The Polynesian ground dove is a small, plump ground dove that displays sexual dimorphism.[9] The male Polynesian ground doves of the nominate subspecies have white foreheads, cheeks, throats, and breasts.[13] The crown, nape, and auricular stripe are grey.[13] The upperparts are a dark olive grey with purple or, if the feathers have faded, chestnut red iridescence on the hindneck and wing-coverts.[13] The underparts are blackish. In males of the subspecies albicollis, the head is completely white.[13] Females of both subspecies look the same: they are a bright reddish brown overall, tinged strongly with reddish-purple on the crown, neck, and wing-coverts.[13] The mantle, back, rump, and inner wing-coverts are a dark olive, and there is a pale breast shield.[13] This plumage frequently fades in intensity due to wear.[13] The juvenile Polynesian ground dove is red overall, with many of its feathers fringed with a cinnamon-rufous.[13] The white parts of the face and underparts are suffused with grey.[9] Juvenile males can be differentiated from juvenile females through the absence of a pale breast shield and purple-edged feathers on the scapulars and lesser coverts.[13] The adult Polynesian ground dove is about 23.5 to 26cm (9.3 to 10.2in) in length, and weighs about 105 to 122g (3.7 to 4.3oz).[9] The ground dove's iris is brown, while the bill is black.[13] The legs and feet are a purplish black.[13]
The call of the Polynesian ground dove has been described as a low, hoarse moan.[9]
Originally, the Polynesian ground dove inhabited mountainous volcanic islands and nearby atolls and islets.[9] However, the introduction of feral cats and rats have extirpated the ground dove from the mountainous volcanic islands. On the islets and atolls it lives in forests with a well-developed understory of dense bushes, ferns, and grasses, in areas of low, dense scrub, and in groves of Pandanus plants with sparse ground vegetation.[9]
Behaviour and ecology
The Polynesian ground dove is a terrestrial and elusive dove.[9] It primarily feeds by scratching for seeds on the ground, such as those from Morinda and Tournefortia plants; however, it is also known to feed in trees and shrubs, where it eats the buds of Portulaca, the seeds of Digitaria, and the leaves of Euphorbia.[9][13] The ground dove flushes in a manner similar to a partridge, while its wings produce a whirring sound.[9] Little is known about the species' breeding behavior, although juveniles have been observed in January and April.[13]
Status
The Polynesian ground dove once was abundant on most of the islands it lived on.[9] However, as this terrestrial species has no native mammalian predators, it is very vulnerable to the introduced feral cats and rats.[9] The ground dove became locally extinct on most islands shortly after they were discovered by Europeans, and it is thought that the populations were already at low levels well before that.[9] Since 1950, the ground dove has only been recorded on two islands: three specimens were collected from Matureivavao, while Rangiroa Atoll was discovered to host a small population of 12 to 20 birds on two of its islands in 1991.[9] It is believed to be extinct in the Society Islands and extirpated from much of its range in the Tuamotus; however, these islands are rarely visited by ornithologists, and many small islets need to be explored to determine if they also host a surviving population of the Polynesian ground dove.[9][13] Additionally, a survey in the 1970s missed the population of ground doves on Rangiroa Atoll, implying that it may survive undetected on other islets.[13] In addition to the threat from introduced predators, the low-lying atolls on which it survives are threatened by rising sea levels.[9]
Conservation efforts
Efforts have been made to allow the species to reexpand by removal of invasive predators and restoration of native ecosystems. On the Acteon islands, likely home to the last viable population, habitat restoration efforts throughout 2017 by Island Conservation allowed the ground dove and the endangered Tuamotu sandpiper to reestablish themselves on Tenarunga, which was not possible for decades.[14][15] In 2020, monitoring found the population was slowly recovering.[16]
Related Research Articles
The Polynesian sandpipers form the genus Prosobonia. They are small wading birds confined to remote Pacific islands of French Polynesia. Only one species is now extant, and it is rare and little known. This bird is sometimes separated in the genus Aechmorhynchus, restricting the genus to the extinct southern forms.
The Tuamotu Archipelago or the Tuamotu Islands are a French Polynesian chain of just under 80 islands and atolls in the southern Pacific Ocean. They constitute the largest chain of atolls in the world, extending over an area roughly the size of Western Europe. Their combined land area is 850 square kilometres. This archipelago's major islands are Anaa, Fakarava, Hao and Makemo.
The Tuamotu sandpiper is an endangered member of the large wader family Scolopacidae, that is endemic to the Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia. It is sometimes placed in the monotypic genus Aechmorhynchus. A native name, apparently in the Tuamotuan language, is kivi-kivi.
Mataiva, Tepoetiriura or Lazarev atoll is a coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago. It is located in the Palliser group, and is the westernmost of the Tuamotus. The nearest atoll, Tikehau, is located 35 km to the east. Rangiroa is located 79 km to the east, and Tahiti is 311 km to the south.
The Tahiti Sandpiper or Tahitian Sandpiper is an extinct member of the large wader family Scolopacidae that was endemic to Tahiti in French Polynesia until its extinction sometime before 1819.
Matureivavao, or Maturei-vavao is an uninhabited atoll in the Acteon Group in the southeastern part of the Tuamotu Islands. It is the largest atoll within the Acteon Group, and like others in this group, is administratively part of the commune of the Gambier Islands.
Tenararo is the smallest atoll in the Acteon Group in the southeastern part of the Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia. It is administratively a part of the Gambier Islands. It is uninhabited.
Tenarunga or Tenania, previously Narunga and formerly Minto Island, is a low, wooded atoll in the Acteon Group in the southeastern part of the Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia. It is administratively a part of the Gambier Islands. The atoll has a population of between 10 and 50 people.
Vahanga is a small uninhabited atoll part of the Acteon Group in the Tuamotu archipelago, French Polynesia and belongs to the municipality of the Gambier Islands.
The Tanna ground dove, also known as Forster's dove of Tanna, is an extinct dove species. Its taxonomic affiliation is uncertain but at its first scientific discussion by Johann Georg Wagler in 1829 it was classified into the genus Gallicolumba ; its closest relative is possibly the Santa Cruz ground dove. It was endemic to the Pacific island of Tanna, Vanuatu. Forster records a native name mahk, almost certainly from the Kwamera language.
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.
The chattering kingfisher is a species of bird in the kingfisher family Alcedinidae. The species is found in the Cook Islands and the Society Islands in French Polynesia.
The Society kingfisher or Tahiti kingfisher is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is endemic to the Society Islands of French Polynesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
Hiti, or Hiti-rau-mea, is a small atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 19 km southwest of Makemo Atoll.
Tuanake or Mata-rua-puna is a small uninhabited atoll located in the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It made up the Raevski Islands subgroup with Tepoto Sud and Hiti. It is administratively attached to the municipality of Makemo.
Morane is an uninhabited small isolated atoll of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is located 153 km southwest of Maria Est, its closest neighbour. Morane Atoll is the southernmost atoll of the Tuamotus proper. It measures 5.8 km in length, 3.5 km in width and has a land area of 2.85 km2. The lagoon has an area of 11 km2 and has no passes. The islands on its reef are covered with screw pine (Pandanus) and coconut trees.
This page list topics related to French Polynesia.
Pampusana is a mid-sized genus of ground-dwelling doves which occur in rainforests in the Pacific region. They are not closely related to the American ground doves.
Gibbs, David; Barnes, Eustace; Cox, John (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Sussex: Pica Press. ISBN1-873403-60-7.
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