The thick-billed ground pigeon (''Trugon terrestris''), also known as the jungle pigeon or the slaty/grey ground pigeon, is a species 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

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

within 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 ...

''Trugon''.del Hoyo, J. Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (1997) ''Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos''. Lynx Edicions. . Native to

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

, its natural habitat is moist tropical lowland forest.

Description

This robust species grows to a length of ; the sexes are similar in appearance. The upper parts are a uniform bluish-grey or brownish-grey, the breast is grey and the belly orangey-buff. The beak is broad with a pale tip, the ear coverts are pale and there is a short crest on the nape. The underwing coverts are boldly streaked in black and white but the tail is unbanded. The legs are pink.

Distribution and habitat

The range is restricted to the island of New Guinea. Its habitat is lowland forest at altitudes up to about . Although usually found in primary humid forest, it seems to be able to make use of partially cleared areas.

Ecology

The thick-billed ground pigeon usually forages alone, but is sometimes seen in pairs. It is generally shy, staying mainly on the ground and running away into the undergrowth when disturbed, but launching itself vigorously into the air with rapidly beating wings when it feels threatened. It flicks its tail downwards frequently as it walks. It feeds on fruits and seeds that have fallen to the ground. It picks up fruit with its beak and hammers it on the ground to split it, exposing and eating the seeds. Small items are swallowed whole. It sometimes visits the display arenas of the

magnificent bird-of-paradise The magnificent bird-of-paradise (''Cicinnurus magnificus'') is a species of bird-of-paradise. The magnificent bird-of-paradise is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. They are listed on Appendix II of CITES. Et ...

in order to forage for regurgitated seeds. This bird roosts at night on low branches. Breeding seems to take place at any time of year, with nests having been found between February and October. The nest is a hollow in the ground, perhaps concealed between the buttress roots of a large tree. It may be unlined or may incorporate a few twigs or leaves, or may be rather more elaborate. A single white egg is laid and is incubated by both parents, the male routinely sitting during the daytime. The fledged chick stays in its parents' territory for about a month.

Status

The thick-billed ground pigeon is generally uncommon; in one area it was estimated that one bird was present in every . Their population trend is considered to be stable. However, it has a very wide range and does not seem to be subject to any particular threats, so 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 ...

has assessed its conservation status as being of "

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1264492 thick-billed ground pigeon Birds of New Guinea thick-billed ground pigeon thick-billed ground pigeon Taxonomy articles created by Polbot