The whistling fruit dove (''Ptilinopus layardi''), also known as the velvet dove or yellow-headed dove, is a small fruit dove from Fiji. The species 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 else ...

to the islands of Kadavu and Ono in the Kadavu Group in the south of Fiji.

Taxonomy

The whistling fruit dove is the most primitive of the "golden doves", a small subgroup of the genus ''Ptilinopus'' which includes two other small Fijian fruit doves, the

golden fruit dove The golden fruit dove (''Ptilinopus luteovirens''), also known as the lemon dove or yellow dove, is a small, approximately 20 cm (8 in) long, short-tailed fruit-dove in the family Columbidae. The common name refers to the males' brigh ...

and the

orange fruit dove The orange fruit dove (''Ptilinopus victor'') is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae. One of the most colorful doves, the male has a golden olive head and elongated bright orange "hair-like" body feathers. The golden-olive remiges a ...

. The group was once split into its own

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 ...

, ''Chrysoenas''.

Description

The whistling fruit dove is a small dove (20 cm) that is

sexually dimorphic Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

in its velvety plumage. The plumage of the male is dark green with a yellow head and undertail coverts, the female lacks the yellow plumage. They are difficult to see in the forest canopy, but can be found due to their distinctive

call Call or Calls may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * Call, a type of betting in poker * Call, in the game of contract bridge, a bid, pass, double, or redouble in the bidding stage Music and dance * Call (band), from Lahore, Paki ...

, a clear rising whistle followed by a falling 'tinkle' Pratt ''et al.'' (1987).

Behaviour

Feeding

The species feeds on fruits in the forest canopy.

Breeding

The breeding of this species has not been studied much. A nest described in 1982 was a 'loose thin platform' constructed with twig-like vines 3 m above the ground (Beckon 1982). A single nestling was described. Only the female took care of the young. If this pattern of parental care is widespread in the golden dove group to which the whistling dove belongs, it represents an unusual adaption within the pigeon

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

. This difference in the levels of parental care was suggested as an explanation of the sexual dimorphism in the golden doves.

Conservation

The whistling fruit dove is considered near threatened by the IUCN. The species is currently common in the forests of Kadavu and Ono, with an estimated population of 10,000 birds (BirdLife International 2006). However it has a restricted range and it is declining due to

habitat loss 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 ...

References

* Beckon, W (1982) "A breeding record of the Whistling Dove of Kadavu, Fiji" ''Notornis'' 29(1): 1-

* BirdLife International (2006
Species factsheet: ''Ptilinopus layardi''.
Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 17/9/2006 * Pratt, H., Bruner, P & Berrett, D. (1987) ''

The Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific ''A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific'' is a 1987 book by Harold Douglas Pratt, Jr., Phillip L. Bruner and Delwyn G. Berrett (with illustrations by Pratt). It is published by Princeton University Press and is produced ...

'' Princeton University Press:Princeton {{Taxonbar, from=Q1269844 Endemic birds of Fiji Columbidae Ptilinopus Birds described in 1878 Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN