Christmas imperial pigeon

Christmas imperial pigeon
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Ducula
Species: D. whartoni
Binomial name
Ducula whartoni
(Sharpe, 1887)
Synonyms
  • Ducula rosacea whartoni
  • Carpophaga whartoni

The Christmas imperial pigeon, (Ducula whartoni), is a large (39 cm in length, 450-700 g in weight) pigeon, mainly dark grey in colour with an iridescent sheen.

Distribution and habitat

The species is endemic to Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean. It inhabits rainforest and secondary growth with fruiting trees.

Behaviour

Diet

Fruit from forest trees with occasional buds and leaves.

Breeding

It builds a platform nest of twigs high in a forest tree.

Voice

It utters a deep booming call.

Conservation

The Christmas imperial pigeon was classified as "vulnerable" because of its small population and restricted distribution until 2012, when it was downgraded to near threatened".[2] Threats include illegal hunting and predation by introduced yellow crazy ants Anoplolepis gracilipes.

See also

References

  1. BirdLife International (2013). "Ducula whartoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. "Recently recategorised species". Birdlife International (2012). Retrieved 18 June 2012.

External links


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