Royal fruit dove
| Royal fruit dove | ||||||||||
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Royal fruit dove |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Ptilinopus regina | ||||||||||
| Swainson , 1825 |
The royal fruit dove ( Ptilinopus regina ), also known as the pink-capped fruit dove , is a species of pigeon birds. It occurs in several subspecies in Australasia and belongs to the particularly strikingly colored fruit pigeons .
Appearance
The king fruit pigeon only reaches a body length of 22 to 24 centimeters and is therefore one of the small fruit pigeons. Compared to the laughing dove , it is significantly smaller and has a relatively short tail. The gender dimorphism is only slightly pronounced. The female's plumage is just less dazzling than that of the male.
The neck, coat, back and rump of the royal fruit pigeon are deep green. The plumage shimmers golden bronze. The wing covers are lined with yellow and have iridescent blue spots. The mauve-colored top of the head, lined with a narrow yellow band, is striking. However, only three of the five subspecies have this yellow border. The upper breast plumage and the sides of the neck are light gray. The lower breast is yellow to orange. The tail feathers are yellow and have yellow ends except for the two middle tail feathers. The iris is orange. The feet and legs are blue-gray. Young birds are generally greener and they still lack the mauve colored cap.
Distribution area and habitat
The main distribution area of the king fruit pigeon is Australia. It occurs there along the coast in northern and eastern Australia. The species is also found on some of the Lesser Sunda Islands . These include Flores , Sawu , Sumba , Timor , Wetar , Romang , Kisar , Leti and Moa . The king fruit dove is an adaptable species that inhabits several different but always moist forest types.
behavior
The king fruit pigeon is a tree dwelling pigeon species. Like many other fruit pigeons, she has climbing skills that are reminiscent of those of parrots. She lives on fruits and berries. The nest is built low in trees. The clutch consists of a white egg.
supporting documents
Individual evidence
literature
- David Burnie (Ed.): Vögel , Munich 2008, Dorling Kindersley, ISBN 978-3-8310-1272-5
- Gerhard Rösler: The wild pigeons of the earth - free life, keeping and breeding , Verlag M. & H. Schaper, Alfeld Hannover 1996, ISBN 3-7944-0184-0
- Christian Zenker: The queen among the fruit pigeons - Ptilinopus regina , Gefiederte Welt, 136th year, 2012, issue 5, page 22ff
Web links
- Ptilinopus regina inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.1. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2013.