Wallace's fruit dove

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Wallace's fruit dove
Ptilinopus wallacii 331590007.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Ptilinopus
Species:
P. wallacii
Binomial name
Ptilinopus wallacii
Gray, 1858

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.

Contents

Endemic to Indonesia, Wallace's fruit dove is found in lowland riverine and coastal forests in the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Moluccas, the Aru Islands, and occasionally in southwestern New Guinea. Its diet consists of small fruits and berries. Nests are made out of twigs in branches and the only observed nest was made in November. Common to moderately common throughout most of its range, the Wallace's fruit dove is evaluated as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List.

Taxonomy and systematics

Wallace's fruit dove was described as Ptilonopus Wallacii by the English ornithologist George Robert Gray in 1858 on the basis of specimens from the Aru Islands acquired by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. [3] The species' generic name comes from the Ancient Greek ptilon (feather) and pous (foot), while the specific name wallacii is in honour of Alfred Wallace. [4] Wallace's fruit dove is the official common name designated by the International Ornithologists' Union. [5] Other common names for the species include Wallace's fruit pigeon, Wallace's green fruit dove, golden-fronted fruit dove, yellow-fronted fruit dove, golden-shouldered fruit dove, and crimson-capped fruit dove. [6] It has no subspecies. [5]

Wallace's fruit dove is one of over 50 species in the fruit dove genus Ptilinopus . [5] A 2014 study of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA by Alice Cibois and colleagues found that Wallace's fruit dove was most closely related to a clade formed by the orange-fronted and ornate fruit doves. This group is sister to the pink-spotted fruit dove and these four species are in turn sister to the grey-headed fruit dove. These five species are sister to a clade formed by the orange-bellied, white-headed, and claret-breasted fruit doves. The most basal species in the group is the Tanna fruit dove. The following cladogram shows the relationships of the white-headed fruit dove with other species in its group based on the 2014 study: [7]

tannensis group

Tanna fruit dove (P. tannensis)

Grey-headed fruit dove (P. hyogastrus)

Pink-spotted fruit dove (P. perlatus)

Wallace's fruit dove (P. wallacii)

Orange-fronted fruit dove (P. aurantiifrons)

Ornate fruit dove (P. ornatus)

Description

1858 illustration of the species PtilonopusWallaciiWolf.jpg
1858 illustration of the species

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 Babar Islands and Tanimbar Islands in the Moluccas, on the Banda Islands, Kur, Manggur, Taam, Komeer, Bacar, Tual, and Kai Kecil in the Lesser Sundas, and the Aru Islands. On New Guinea, individuals have infrequently been recorded in the southwest from the Mimika River to the Noord River, but these are thought to have been vagrants from the Aru Islands. [2] [6]

The species inhabits lowland forests near rivers and the coast, including mangroves, forest edges, savanna, gallery forests, and monsoon forests. It has also been recorded on islands where nearly all old-growth forest has been replaced with cultivation and appears to be able to adapt to secondary growth. On Kai Besar, it has been recorded from sea level up to elevations of 250 m (820 ft). [2] [8]

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 least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the IUCN Red List due to its sufficiently large range and lack of significant population decline. [1] It is fairly common on Tanimbar and the Aru Islands and moderately common on the Kai Islands. It was not seen on the Banda Islands and Taam, where it was formerly common, in 1971. Its survival on highly populated islands indicates an ability to adjust to disturbed habitats. [2] [8]

Related Research Articles

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

The beautiful fruit dove, also known as the rose-fronted pigeon or crimson-capped fruit dove, is a small, approximately 19 cm long, mainly green fruit dove. It has a red crown, whitish throat, a greenish-yellow bill and purplish-red feet. It has a blue-grey breast and yellowish orange belly, with a reddish purple patch in between. Both sexes are similar.

<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.

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

The elegant imperial pigeon, also known as blue-tailed imperial-pigeon, is a large pigeon, with upperparts mainly dark blue-green in colour with an iridescent sheen. Head, neck and underparts are mostly pale grey, with red-brown undertail coverts.

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

The rose-crowned fruit dove, also known as pink-capped fruit dove or Swainson's fruit dove, is a medium-sized fruit dove that is found in parts of southern Indonesia, northern Australia and eastern Australia.

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

The orange-bellied fruit dove is a small pigeon with mainly green plumage, distinguished by a large orange patch on the lower breast and belly, a small lilac shoulder patch, pale yellow undertail coverts, and a grey terminal band on the tail.

<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">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">Scarlet-breasted fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The scarlet-breasted fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it occurs in the northern Moluccas. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is rated as a species of least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species. In 1863 Hermann Schlegel named the new species for one of his collectors, Heinrich Agathon Bernstein.

<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">Red-moustached fruit dove</span> Extinct species of bird

The red-moustached fruit dove or moustached fruit dove is an extinct species of bird in the family Columbidae. It was endemic to French Polynesia. The last record was of the subspecies P. m. tristrami on Hiva Oa, in 1922. Its extinction has been attributed to predation by the introduced great horned owl, as well as by introduced rats and cats. In 1994, it was listed as an extinct species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species.

<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">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">White-bibbed fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The white-bibbed fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae.

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

The Sumatran green pigeon is a species of bird in the pigeon family, Columbidae. First described by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1823, it is endemic to Indonesia, where it is found in Sumatra and western Java. It inhabits the canopy of dense hill and montane forest and has been recorded at elevations of 350 to 1,800 m on Sumatra and 600 to 3,000 m on Java. The Sumatran green pigeon is a relatively slender species with a long wedge-shaped tail and an adult length of 29.0–34.1 cm (11.4–13.4 in) in males and 27.7–29.0 cm (10.9–11.4 in) in females. Adult males have a dark green head and body, bright yellow lower belly and undertail-coverts, dark grey tail, and bluish-green unfeathered patches on the face. Adult females are duller and have no grey on the back of the neck, a fainter orange wash on the breast, and no orange markings on the crown or the bend of the wing.

<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. 1 2 3 BirdLife International (2016). "Ptilinopus wallacii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22691396A93311251. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22691396A93311251.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Gibbs, David; Barnes, Eustace; Cox, John (2001). Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World. Pica Press. pp. 476–477. ISBN   978-1-8734-0360-0. OCLC   701718514.
  3. ↑ Zoological Society of London; Gray, George R. (1858). A list of the birds, with descriptions of new species, obtained by Mr. Alfred R. Wallace in the Aru and Ké Islands. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. London: Academic Press. p. 185.
  4. ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 322, 406. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  5. 1 2 3 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela (eds.). "Pigeons". IOC World Bird List. doi: 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.1 . Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  6. 1 2 Beehler, Bruce; Pratt, Thane (2016). Birds of New Guinea: Distribution, Taxonomy, and Systematics. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 81. ISBN   978-1-4008-8071-3. OCLC   936447561.
  7. ↑ Cibois, Alice; Thibault, Jean-Claude; Bonillo, Céline; Filardi, Christopher E.; Watling, Dick; Pasquet, Eric (2014). "Phylogeny and biogeography of the fruit doves (Aves: Columbidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . 70: 442–453. Bibcode:2014MolPE..70..442C. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.08.019. PMID   24012584.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Baptista, Luis F.; Trail, Pepper W.; Horblit, H.M.; Garcia, Ernest (2020-03-04). Billerman, Shawn M.; Keeney, Brooke K.; Rodewald, Paul G.; Schulenberg, Thomas S. (eds.). "Wallace's Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus wallacii)" . Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.wafdov1.01. S2CID   241204625 . Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  9. ↑ 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.
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