Purple shoulder dove
| Purple shoulder dove | ||||||||||||
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Purple shoulder pigeon ( Alopecoenas stairi ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Alopecoenas stairi | ||||||||||||
| ( GR Gray , 1856) |
The purple shoulder pigeon ( Alopecoenas stairi , syn .: Gallicolumba stairi ), also called the Samoan earth dove or friendly earth dove , is a species of pigeon birds. It occurs exclusively on some Southeast Asian islands. The IUCN assesses the purple shoulder pigeon as an endangered ( vulnerable ) species because there are only small and fragmented populations.
Appearance
The purple shoulder pigeon reaches a body length of almost 30 centimeters. It is a compactly built earth dove. Their plumage is mostly dark. There is a gender dimorphism, which is however differently pronounced. Some females have plumage that is very similar to that of the males.
The males and some of the females are plumed red-gray on the head and chest. The top of the head is gray and shines bronze. The elytra shine purple. The back neck is greenish. The coat and the back are red-brown and shimmering bronze-green. A number of females lack the gray skull. The neck, chest and coat are more yellow-brown.
Distribution area and habitat
The purple shoulder dove is an endemic species of the South Pacific. It occurs in the Fiji Islands , the Tonga Islands and the Samoa Islands . The distribution area is fragmented, but also insufficiently investigated. The Tonga island of Late , which is largely untouched by human interference, still has a stable population. In Samoa it has only been observed on a small islet in recent years. The population in Samoa is considered critically endangered.
In historical times the purple shoulder dove was found in numerous and different forest habitats on the islands. Their distribution ranged from forests in the lowlands to mountain forests. It also occurred on abandoned coconut plantations. It now only occurs in remote areas on islands that are inhabited by humans.
Way of life
The purple shoulder pigeon is a shy species of pigeon that usually lives solitary and shows a ground-based way of life. It is still relatively common on the few islands in its range where no predators have been introduced so far. If it is startled, it usually does not fly up, but constantly looks for cover in the undergrowth. Their food spectrum consists of seeds, fallen fruits, young leaves and buds. In typical pigeon fashion, the nest is only built as a loose platform. The reproductive biology of purple shoulder pigeons living in the wild has not yet been observed. However, a female kept in human care laid two white-shell eggs.
literature
- 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 .
- Alois Münst and Josef Wolters: pigeons. The types of wild pigeons , 2nd expanded and revised edition, Verlag Karin Wolters, Bottrop 1999, ISBN 3-9801504-9-6 .
- Gerhard Rösler: The wild pigeons of the earth. Free living, keeping and breeding . Verlag M. & H. Schaper, Alfeld Hannover 1996, ISBN 3-7944-0184-0 .
Individual evidence
Web links
- Alopecoenas stairi in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.1. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2013.