The black cuckoo-dove (''Turacoena modesta''), also known as the slaty cuckoo-dove, is a

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 bird in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

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

Lesser Sunda Islands The Lesser Sunda Islands or nowadays known as Nusa Tenggara Islands ( id, Kepulauan Nusa Tenggara, formerly ) are an archipelago in Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Australia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up t ...

, being found on

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...

, Wetar,

Rote Rote can refer to: People *Jason Butler Rote, American TV writer *Kyle Rote (1928–2002), American football player and father of: *Kyle Rote, Jr. (born 1950), American soccer player *Ryan Rote (born 1982), baseball pitcher *Tobin Rote (1928–200 ...

, and Atauro. It inhabits

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

and

secondary Secondary may refer to: Science and nature * Secondary emission, of particles ** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products * The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...

monsoon forest, eucalyptus forest, and

woodlands Woodlands may back refer to: * Woodland, a low-density forest Geography Australia * Woodlands, New South Wales * Woodlands, Ashgrove, Queensland, a heritage-listed house associated with John Henry Pepper * Woodlands, Marburg, Queensland, a her ...

. It is long on average and is mainly dark bluish-gray, lighter on the head and underparts and darker on the wings and tail. It has yellow orbital skin. The black cuckoo-dove feeds on fruit. It is listed as being

near threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify fo ...

by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

(IUCN) in the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

. It is threatened by

habitat destruction 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

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

Taxonomy and systematics

The black cuckoo-dove was first described as ''Columba modesta'' by the Dutch zoologist

Coenraad Temminck Coenraad Jacob Temminck (; 31 March 1778 – 30 January 1858) was a Dutch aristocrat, zoologist and museum director. Biography Coenraad Jacob Temminck was born on 31 March 1778 in Amsterdam in the Dutch Republic. From his father, Jacob Temminck ...

in 1835 based on a specimen from

. It was then moved to the genus ''

Macropygia ''Macropygia'' is a genus of bird in the pigeon and dove family Columbidae. The genus is one of three genera known as cuckoo-doves. They are long tailed, range between 27 and 45 cm in length and have brown plumage. The genus ranges from Indi ...

'' by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1844, before finally being moved to ''

Turacoena ''Turacoena'' is a small genus of doves in the family Columbidae that are found in Indonesia. The genus was introduced in 1854 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte. The type species is the white-faced cuckoo-dove (''Turacoena manaden ...

'' in 1856. The name of the genus, ''Turacoena'', is after the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Turacus'' (now treated as a synonym of '' Tauraco'') and 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 peri ...

word ''oinas'', meaning pigeon. The specific name ''modesta'' is from the Latin word ''modestus'', meaning plain or modest. Black cuckoo-dove is the official

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

designated by the International Ornithologists' Union. Other common names for the species include black dove, Timor cuckoo-dove, Timor black cuckoo-dove, Timor black pigeon, and slate-colored cuckoo-dove. The black cuckoo-dove is one of three species in the genus ''Turacoena'' and is most closely related to the white-faced cuckoo dove. It does not have any

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

Description

The black cuckoo-dove is a medium-sized cuckoo-dove with a length of . Both sexes are similar in appearance. It is mainly dark bluish-gray, with the color being lighter on the head and underparts and almost black on the wings and tail. The feathers on the top of the head, nape, neck, breast and upper back have

iridescent Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to gradually change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence include soap bubbles, feathers, butterfl ...

green or purple fringes. The orbital skin is yellow, while the iris has a yellow inner ring and a red outer ring. The legs and beak are black. Juveniles are duller, with brownish-grey plumage, and have light

fawn Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...

-white fringes to feathers.

Vocalizations

The

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

call is a long ''crrruah...crrruah..rrah.rah.ra.ra.ra-ra-ra-r-r-r-r'' which starts with purrs that are similar to those of the

European turtle dove The European turtle dove (''Streptopelia turtur'') is a member of the bird family Columbidae, the doves and pigeons. It breeds over a wide area of the south western Palearctic including north Africa but migrates to northern sub-Saharan Africa t ...

and then becomes a series of stuttering notes before fading. It lasts for 6–8 seconds and consists of 20–25 notes. It is repeated around every half minute.

Distribution and habitat

The black cuckoo-dove is endemic to the

and is found on Timor, Wetar,

, and Atauro. It inhabits

and

monsoon forest, eucalyptus forest, and

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

at elevations of up to and is moderately tolerant of

. It is thought to

migrate Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration * Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another ** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...

seasonally depending on food availability.

Behaviour and ecology

The black cuckoo-dove is mainly found singly or in pairs in the

subcanopy In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant cropping or crop, formed by the collection of individual plant crowns. In forest ecology, canopy also refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns an ...

. It is a quiet species and flies swiftly to nearby perches when flushed. It feeds on fruit and forages singly or in pairs in bushes and small trees. Flocks also congregate at fruiting trees. It is parasitized by the quill mite '' Meitingsunes turacoenas'', which is present on its flight feathers.

Status

The species is listed as being

by the

(IUCN) in the

due to population declines and restricted distribution. Its population is estimated to be 1,500–7,000 mature adults and 2,500–9,999 total individuals. Threats to the species include severe

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 ...

caused by grazing, burning, agriculture, and logging. It is also threatened by intensive hunting in Timor.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1271590

black cuckoo-dove The black cuckoo-dove (''Turacoena modesta''), also known as the slaty cuckoo-dove, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Lesser Sunda Islands, being found on Timor, Wetar, Rote, and Atauro. It inhabits primary a ...

Birds of Timor Birds of Wetar Near threatened animals Near threatened biota of Asia

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot