The cream-breasted fruit dove (''Ptilinopus merrilli'') or cream-bellied fruit dove is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

in the family

Columbidae Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the Luzon region of the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

.Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

is subtropical or tropical moist lowland to montane

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s of up to 1,300 masl. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

, and trapping for the pet trade. It is illegal to hunt, capture or keep cream-breasted fruit-doves under Philippine Law RA 9147.

Taxonomy and systematics

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 The flame-breasted fruit dove (''Ptilinopus marchei'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Philippines only being found in the mountains of Luzon.This is a large dove reaching 42 cm long, being the largest fru ...

. It was formerly placed in the obsolete genus '' Leucotreron''. The species' generic name comes from the Greek ''ptilon'' (feather) and ''pous'' (foot), while the

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

is in honor of

Elmer Drew Merrill Elmer Drew Merrill (October 15, 1876 – February 25, 1956) was an American botanist and taxonomist. He spent more than twenty years in the Philippines where he became a recognized authority on the flora of the Asia-Pacific region. Through t ...

, an American botanist. Alternative names for the cream-breasted fruit dove include Merrill's fruit dove.

Subspecies

* ''P. m. merrilli'' –

MacGregor MacGregor or Macgregor may refer to: People * MacGregor (surname) * MacGregor (filmmaker), a Spanish commercial cinematographer and film director * Clan Gregor, a Scottish clan * Macgregor baronets, related individuals including a British Army Br ...

, 1916: The nominate subspecies, found in southern

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

from the southern part of the Sierra Madres down to Bicol and Catanduanes region * * ''P. m. faustinoi'' – Manuel, 1936: Found in the mountains of northern Luzon starting from Quirino. Has a red crown patch.

Habitat and conservation status

This frugivorous species is found chiefly in primary and selectively logged forest up to 1,300 m in the Sierra Madre. This bird is listed as near-threatened with its primary threats being habitat loss and hunting for both food and the pet trade.

References

Cited text

* cream-breasted fruit dove Birds of Luzon Fauna of Catanduanes Endemic birds of the Philippines cream-breasted fruit dove Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN {{Columbiformes-stub