The elegant imperial pigeon (''Ducula concinna''), 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.
Taxonomy and systematics
The elegant imperial pigeon was originally described as ''Carpophaga concinna'' by
Alfred Russel Wallace in 1865 based on specimens from the
Watubela Islands.
Description
The elegant imperial pigeon is a large pigeon, measuring in length. The head, neck, and upper back are pale grey, with a pink tinge on the
nape
The nape is the back of the neck. In technical anatomical/medical terminology, the nape is also called the nucha (from the Medieval Latin rendering of the Arabic , "spinal marrow"). The corresponding adjective is ''nuchal'', as in the term ''nu ...
and back of the
crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
. The rest of the
upperparts
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...
are shimmering dark green, while the top of the tail is purplish-blue, sometimes appearing black. The underparts are pale grey with a pink tinge, while the
undertail coverts are reddish-brown. The undersides of the tail and wing are black. The bill is black or bluish-grey, with a ring of white feathers at its base, the iris is golden, and the feet are pinkish-red to
crimson. Both sexes are similar, but females have darker grey and pink colours. Juveniles are duller than adults.
Vocalisations
The elegant imperial pigeon's call is a loud, throaty, barking ''urrauw'', made at variable intervals. These are interspersed with low-pitched, loud, upslurred growls. These growls are often produced after another individual has given the bark.
Distribution and habitat
The elegant imperial pigeon inhabits small islands in
Wallacea
Wallacea is a biogeographical designation for a group of mainly Indonesian islands separated by deep-water straits from the Asian and Australian continental shelves. Wallacea includes Sulawesi, the largest island in the group, as well as ...
and off
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
. It has been recorded from the
Talaud Islands
The Talaud Islands ( Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Talaud'') also spelled Talaur or Talaut, are a group of islands situated about 225 miles (360 km) northeast of Sulawesi, in Indonesia, north-east of the Sangihe Islands. The Talaud Islands are als ...
,
Sangihe, islands off southern
Sulawesi, the southern
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located ...
, and the eastern
Lesser Sundas from
Romang to
Tanimbar
The Tanimbar Islands, also called ''Timur Laut'', are a group of about 65 islands in the Maluku province of Indonesia. The largest and most central of the islands is Yamdena; others include Selaru to the southwest of Yamdena, Larat and F ...
, east up to the
Aru Islands
The Aru Islands Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kepulauan Aru) is a group of about 95 low-lying islands in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It also forms a regency of Maluku Province, with a land area of . At the 2011 Census the Regency had a ...
. Vagrants have also been recorded from
Buru
Buru (formerly spelled Boeroe, Boro, or Bouru) is the third largest island within the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon and Seram islands. The island belongs to ...
and
Darwin, Australia.
The elegant imperial pigeon inhabits
primary forest
An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological feature ...
,
secondary forest,
forest edge
A woodland edge or forest edge is the transition zone (ecotone) from an area of woodland or forest to fields or other open spaces. Certain species of plants and animals are adapted to the forest edge, and these species are often more familiar to hu ...
, and trees in cultivated areas. It mostly inhabits lowlands, but is sometimes found up to elevations of .
Behaviour and ecology
The elegant imperial pigeon is thought to migrate between small islands to look for food. One vagrant observed in Australia may have reached there with migrating Torresian imperial pigeons.
Diet
The elegant imperial pigeon feeds on fruit, and has been recorded feeding on young coconut fruit, ''
Ficus
''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extendi ...
'' figs, ''
Canarium'' species, ''
Gnetum gnemon'',
fish poison trees (''Barringtonia asiatica''),
Moluccan albizia (''Falcataria moluccana''),
Bornean ironwood (''Eusideroxylon zwageri''), and
Indonesian mahogany (''Toona sureni''). A vagrant in Australia was also observed feeding on
banyan
A banyan, also spelled "banian", is a fig that develops accessory trunks from adventitious prop roots, allowing the tree to spread outwards indefinitely. This distinguishes banyans from other trees with a strangler habit that begin life as a ...
and
palm trees
Palm most commonly refers to:
* Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand
* Palm plants, of family Arecaceae
**List of Arecaceae genera
* Several other plants known as "palm"
Palm or Palms may also refer to:
Music
* Palm ( ...
. Foraging flocks can contain up to 40 birds.
Breeding
On
Damar, nest-building was observed in August, when two nests were found at heights of in primary evergreen forest.
References
External links
BirdLife Species Factsheet
{{Taxonbar, from=Q655595
elegant imperial pigeon
Birds of Wallacea
elegant imperial pigeon