The Lompobattang fruit-dove (''Ptilinopus meridionalis'') 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
pigeon family. It is native to
Sulawesi
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
.
Description
These birds are around long. They have black upperparts and a grey head and underparts. They have a dark-purple mask behind their eyes, which is unique for this species.
Taxonomy
It was first described in 1893 by Meyer and Wiglesworth.
This species was formerly placed with
''Ptilinopus fischeri'' before they were split into two distinct species.
Distribution
This species occurs in south-western Sulawesi, Indonesia where they occupy an estimated surface of . They usually reside in forests and are found at elevations between .
Status
It is listed as
vulnerable by the IUCN.
There are believed to be between 2,500 and 10,000 Lompobattang fruit-doves in one sub-population.
Threats
Habitat loss from
deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...
has led to a slow decline in the population of the species.
Conservation
While there are no current conversation actions in progress, there is a proposal for of the Gunung Lompobattang mountain to be designated as a nature reserve.
See also
*
Fauna of Indonesia
The fauna of Indonesia is characterised by high levels of biodiversity and endemicity due to its distribution over a vast tropical archipelago. Indonesia divides into two ecological regions; western Indonesia which is more influenced by Asian f ...
*
List of vulnerable birds
*
Bantaeng Regency
References
Further reading
* del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J. 1997. ''Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos''. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.
* Sibley, C.G. and Monroe, B.L. 1990. ''Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World''. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.
* Sibley, C.G. and Monroe, B.L. 1993. ''A supplement to 'Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.
Vulnerable biota of Asia
Ptilinopus
Endemic birds of Sulawesi
Birds described in 1893
IUCN Red List vulnerable species
{{Columbiformes-stub