White-eyed fruit pigeon
| White-eyed fruit pigeon | ||||||||||
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White-eyed fruit pigeon ( Ducula perspicillata ) |
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| Ducula perspicillata | ||||||||||
| ( Temminck , 1824) |
The white-eyed fruit pigeon ( Ducula perspicillata ), also called spectacle fruit pigeon , is a species of pigeon birds that is one of the large fruit pigeons . Within this genus it belongs to the medium to large species. It has a tail that is comparatively long in relation to its size, the body is slim and the forehead is very steep. The distribution area of the white-eyed fruit pigeon are the Moluccas.
The stock situation of the white-eyed fruit pigeon is given as harmless ( least concern ).
Appearance
anatomy
The males of the white-eyed fruit pigeon reach a body length of up to 43 centimeters, the females remain somewhat smaller and reach a body length of 41.5 to 42 centimeters. The tail accounts for 14.4 to 15.4 centimeters of the body length. The wing length is on average 252 to 260 millimeters. The beak is 22 to 24 millimeters long.
Adult white-eyed fruit pigeons
The wax skin of the beak is heavily swollen, the feathers at the base are white and sharply contrasted with the slate-gray reins, the slate-gray crown and the dark neck. A noticeably pale, almost white feather ring runs around the eyes, which gave rise to the name of this pigeon species.
The neck is dark gray with an intense greenish sheen, the coat, the back and the rump as well as the wing covers are green and have a metallic sheen. Depending on the light conditions, this iridescent shimmer is greenish, bronze-colored or even bluish. The tail plumage is black on top with a purple-blue to greenish sheen.
The chin is white, the ear covers are slate gray, the throat, like the neck, and the chest and belly are light ash gray. The under tail-coverts are gray with a brownish tone. The iris is dark brown, olive brown or dark red brown. The beak is bluish horn-colored with a purple-red beak base. The feet and legs are matt coral red.
Fledglings
Fledglings are similar to adult birds, only the iridescent metallic shimmer of the plumage is missing.
Possible confusion
In the distribution area of the white-eyed fruit pigeon there are several species that are similar to this pigeon species. The Moluccan bronze fruit pigeon has a feathered wax skin, which makes the forehead appear very flat. The head, neck and the underside of the body are pale ash gray. The whitish spring ring around the eyes is also missing. The top of the body is darker and has a more metallic blue than metallic green sheen. The pink-headed fruit pigeon is slightly smaller than the white-eyed fruit pigeon and has a wine-colored crown and wine-colored ear covers. The top of the body has no metallic luster.
Distribution area
The white-eyed fruit pigeon is found exclusively on the Moluccas. She settled here on the islands of Ambon , Bacan Islands . Boano , Damar , Halmahera , Kasiruta , Kayoa , Morotai , Moti , Obi Islands , Saparua , Seram , Ternate , Tidore and Widi . It is often found in the lowlands, but less often in the foothills and mountains. Sometimes it is very common. In 1989, the number of white-eyed fruit pigeons per square kilometer of forest on the island of Seram was estimated at 100 to 150.
The habitat of the white-eyed fruit pigeon are evergreen forests, forest edges and also forests with selective logging. It also occurs on agricultural areas and fields, if these still have a population of tall trees. It can also be seen more often on coconut plantations in the lowlands. Due to their preference for somewhat sparser forest areas, their population numbers are increasing in those regions where selective logging takes place.
Way of life
White-eyed fruit pigeons occur solitary or in pairs, less often in small groups. It is a fruit eater that eats fruit up to the size of a plum. They peck the fruit straight from the branches and rarely get to the ground. It is a very shouting species that also likes to sit on exposed branches and which is therefore quickly noticed by observers.
The reproductive biology of this species has so far been little researched.
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 .
- 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 .