Large fruit pigeons
| Large fruit pigeons | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Ducula | ||||||||||
| Hodgson , 1836 |
The large fruit pigeons ( Ducula ), sometimes also called imperial pigeons , are a species-rich genus of pigeon birds.
Appearance
The large fruit pigeons are very large pigeons. The smallest of them correspond in body length to a city pigeon, the largest are twice as large as a wood pigeon. Its beak is large and wide, and its throat is flexible. The plumage colors of the large fruit pigeons are white, gray, silver, pink and green. Many species have an extremely striking pattern. Overall, however, the shades are always delicate and soft. In some species the wax skin is greatly enlarged. Most species lack a conspicuous sexual dimorphism.
The flight is powerful, although loud flight noises are typical for many species.
Spread and behavior
The main distribution area of the large fruit pigeons is New Guinea. However, its range extends from the Himalayas through Polynesia and Micronesia to Australia. However, only two species breed in mainland Asia and only one species in Australia. The food spectrum of the large fruit pigeons mainly includes fruits. You can also swallow large fruits because of their large beak and the expandable throat, but you only digest the pulp. The kernels are excreted again, so that they play a role in the spread of some plant species.
A number of the species live individually or in pairs. Other species occur mainly in small groups. Their way of life is often nomadic. In particular, the island species also cross the open sea. Large fruit pigeons are mainly tree-dwelling species.
Keeping in human care
In spite of the very attractive plumage of many species, large fruit pigeons do not play a major role in ornamental bird keeping. Due to their size, they need very large aviaries and have high demands on the food. However, in some zoos, large fruit pigeons are shown. Their attitude has increased with the introduction of large tropical halls.
species
The following species are counted among the large fruit pigeons:
- Gray-headed fruit pigeon ( Ducula poliocephala )
- Great Celebes fruit pigeon ( Ducula forsteni )
- Great Mindoro Fruit Pigeon ( Ducula mindorensis )
- Celebes bindtail fruit pigeon ( Ducula radiata )
- Spotted fruit pigeon ( Ducula carola )
- Bronze fruit pigeon ( Ducula aenea )
- White-eyed fruit pigeon ( Ducula perspicillata )
- Moluccan bronze pigeon ( Ducula concinna )
- Tonga pigeon ( Ducula pacifica )
- Caroline fruit pigeon ( Ducula oceanica )
- Tahitian fruit pigeon ( Ducula aurorae )
- Marquesas fruit pigeon ( Ducula galeata )
- Red wart fruit pigeon ( Ducula rubricera )
- Black-headed fruit pigeon ( Ducula myristicivora )
- Gray fruit pigeon ( Ducula pistrinaria )
- Dark fruit pigeon ( Ducula whartoni )
- Pink-headed fruit pigeon ( Ducula rosacea )
- Gray island pigeon ( Ducula pickeringii )
- Halmahera fruit pigeon ( Ducula basilica )
- Red-tailed fruit pigeon ( Ducula rufigaster )
- Finsch fruit pigeon ( Ducula finschii )
- Red-bellied mountain pigeon ( Ducula chalconota )
- Peales fruit pigeon ( Ducula latrans )
- Brown-bellied fruit pigeon ( Ducula brenchleyi )
- Baker fruit pigeon ( Ducula bakeri )
- Giant fruit pigeon ( Ducula goliath )
- Black -eye fruit pigeon ( Ducula pinon )
- Black fruit pigeon ( Ducula melanochroa )
- Black-collar fruit pigeon ( Ducula mullerii )
- Banded fruit pigeon ( Ducula zoeae )
- Mountain pigeon ( Ducula badia )
- Black- backed fruit pigeon ( Ducula lacernulata )
- Slate-backed fruit pigeon ( Ducula cineracea )
- Two-colored fruit pigeon ( Ducula bicolor )
- Magpie dove ( Ducula luctuosa )
- Spot Fruchttaube ( Ducula spilorrhoa )
- Yellow imperial pigeon ( Ducula subflavescens )
- Ducula harrisoni , extinct
supporting documents
Individual evidence
literature
- Wolfgang Fischer: Fruit pigeons of the genus Ducula , The Aviary, 22nd year, 1999, issue 12, page 356ff.
- David Gibbs, Eustace Barnes and John Cox: Pigeons and Doves - A Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World . Pica Press, Sussex 2001, ISBN 90-74345-26-3 .
- Gerhard Rösler: The wild pigeons of the earth - free living, keeping and breeding . M. & H. Schaper Verlag, Alfeld-Hannover 1996, ISBN 3-7944-0184-0 .
