''Hemiphaga'' is the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
containing two large
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
pigeons
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 ...
from
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
There are two
subspecies of New Zealand pigeon, ''Hemiphaga novaseelandiae'': ''H. n. novaseelandiae'' of mainland New Zealand and the
Norfolk pigeon (''H. n. spadicea'') of
Norfolk Island, now
extinct. The subspecies differed in their plumage colour and shape.
[James, R. E. (1995). Breeding ecology of the New Zealand pigeon at Wenderholm Regional Park. p93. ''School of Environmental and Marine Science''. University of Auckland, Auckland.]
In 2001, it was proposed that a third subspecies, ''H. n. chathamensis'' or the
Chatham Island pigeon, was distinct enough to be raised to full
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
status as ''H. chathamensis''. This has since been accepted by most authorities.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Hemiphaga'' was introduced by the French naturalist
Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854 with the
New Zealand pigeon
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
(''Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae'') as the
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...
. The name combines the
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
''hēmi'' meaning "half-" or "small" with the end of the genus name ''Carpophaga'' introduced by
Prideaux John Selby
Prideaux John Selby FRSE FLS (23 July 1788 – 27 March 1867) was an English ornithologist, botanist and natural history artist.
Life
Selby was born in Bondgate Street in Alnwick in Northumberland, the eldest son of George Selby of Beal a ...
in 1835.
The genus contains two species:
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1195661
Ptilinopinae
Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte