Island Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula pistrinaria pistrinaria) 18 September 2019, Gizo, New Georgia Group,
Solomon Islands
We found this massive fruit-pigeon by its distinctive call, a deep, throaty laughing series starting with emphatic upslurred notes followed by a series of soft, lower notes. A group of school children who were determined to make sure I didn't get lost, pointed this bird out to me. They called it a "Wup-Woo" evidently their local name for it. This species is confined mostly to smaller islands. Note red eye and chestnut undertail coverts. The gray back and pinkish wash extending to its breast are characteristic of the distinctive pale nominate race seen here. Other subspecies ranging north to islands off New Guinea are darker, much greener above and have pinkish color confined to the head. Canon PowerShot SX60. References: Baptista, L.F., Trail, P.W. & Horblit, H.M. (2019). Island Imperial-pigeon (Ducula pistrinaria). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/54382 on 20 November 2019). Dutson, G. (2011) Birds of Melanesia, Christopher Helm, London. Gregory, P. (2017) Birds of New Guinea, Including Bismarck Archipelago and Boughainville. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. |