Marquesa pigeon

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Marquesa pigeon
Systematics
Sub-stem : Vertebrates (vertebrata)
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Pigeon birds (Columbiformes)
Family : Pigeons (Columbidae)
Genre : Indo-Pacific earth pigeons ( Alopecoenas )
Type : Marquesa pigeon
Scientific name
Alopecoenas rubescens
( Vieillot , 1818)

The marquesa pigeon ( Alopecoenas rubescens , syn .: Gallicolumba rubescens ) is a species of pigeon with reduced flight ability, which can also be recognized by the bird's skeleton. Despite this reduced ability to fly, it is now widespread on two islands of the Marquesas , namely Hatuta'a and Fatu Huku, and used to live on some other islands in the archipelago. These include Tahuata , Nuku Hiva , Hiva Oa and Ua Huka .

The two islands on which the pigeon still lives today are uninhabited and cat-free. Their population was estimated at 225 birds on Hatuta'a in 1975 and was about the same in 1987. The population at Fatu Huku was estimated at 10–100 in the 1990s, and in 2011 a complete survey resulted in fewer than 10 individuals. The species is listed as endangered because these population sizes are too small to ensure the long-term survival of a species and there is always the risk that species such as cats or similar predators are accidentally introduced onto such islands. On the other islands, the species was probably exterminated by cats.

The species inhabits wooded regions, groves of Pisonia grandis and bushy vegetation. It feeds mainly on seeds. On Hatuta'a, the birds predominantly live on the island's high plateau and rarely go down to sea level.

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  1. ↑ a b c Alopecoenas rubescens in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed November 16, 2011th
  2. ^ Trevor H. Worthy, Graham M. Wragg: A new species of Gallicolumba: Columbidae from Henderson Island, Pitcairn Group . In: Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 33, Number 4, December 2003, pp. 769-793.
  3. ^ H. Sachet, PA Schafer, J.-C. Thibault: Mohotani: Une Ile protegee aux Marquises . online, PDF file, 573kB, French
  4. ↑ David W. Steadman, Paul S. Martin: The late Quaternary extinction and future resurrection of birds on Pacific islands . In: Earth-Science Reviews, Volume 61, 2003, pp. 133-147.
  5. ↑ a b J.-C. Thibault, A. Cibois: Birds of Eastern Polynesia - A biogeographic Atlas . Lynx, Barcelona, ​​2017.