Little Cuckoo Dove
| Little Cuckoo Dove | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Macropygia nigrirostris | ||||||||||
| Salvadori , 1875 |
The dwarf cuckoo pigeon ( Macropygia nigrirostris ), also called chestnut pigeon, is a species of pigeon bird that belongs to the cuckoo pigeon . It belongs to the small species within this genus. The distribution area of the Rosabrust Cuckoo Dove is New Guinea and the adjacent archipelagos.
The population of the dwarf cuckoo pigeon is given as 
(= least concern - not endangered). No subspecies are distinguished.
Appearance
anatomy
The dwarf cuckoo pigeon reaches a body length of up to 29 centimeters, of which 13.1 to 15.2 centimeters are on the tail. The wing length is 140 to 151 millimeters. The beak is 11 to 13 millimeters long. The weight is between 66 and 104 grams. It has the build typical of cuckoo pigeons with a slender body and a long, stepped tail in relation to its size.
male
In the male, the head is maroon, the vertex and neck are a little darker and shimmering purple. The deficiency is maroon, the wings are blackish, the feathers of the elytra are narrowly sown maroon. The feathers of the rump and the upper tail-coverts are brown with a blackish feather base and a black transverse band at the end. The six central control springs are cross-banded in brown and black. The three outer control springs are cinnamon-colored with a black end band. The underside of the body is reddish maroon. The throat is slightly lightened, and a blurred, darker band runs across the chest. The orbital ring is cinnamon to red, the beak is black or dark brown, the iris color varies from person to person, but most of them are yellowish. The feet and legs are coral red to brown.
female
The forehead and face of the females have a reddish-brown basic color, but are spotted with black. The crown and nape of the head are red-brown with black spots and dashes. The coat is black-brown, the individual feathers are lined with chestnut brown and have red-brown tips. The wing covers are dark brown with maroon edges and transverse bands. The rump is dark brown with black transverse bands. The throat is pale brown, the chest is reddish brown with black transverse bands. The belly is reddish maroon, the coverts under the tail are darker in comparison.
Possible confusion
In the distribution area of the dwarf cuckoo pigeon there are several other pigeon species with which it can be confused. Their distribution area partially overlaps with the pink-breasted cuckoo pigeon and in New Guinea both species occupy the same ecological niche. In particular, the females of both species are very similar, but the pink-breasted cuckoo pigeon is significantly larger than the dwarf cuckoo pigeon. The fox-red cuckoo pigeon occurs on two islands that are also populated by the pygmy cuckoo pigeon. It is smaller and overall duller in color. The lighter head and top of the body contrast strikingly with the red-brown top of the body.
Distribution area and habitat
The dwarf cuckoo pigeon occurs on mainland New Guinea and also inhabits the Bismarck Archipelago and the islands of Yapen and Kalkar as well as the D'Entrecasteaux Islands . It is common in its range and occurs mainly at medium and high altitudes. Only on Kakar, which is also populated by the fox-red cuckoo pigeon, is the dwarf cuckoo pigeon a comparatively rare species that only occurs between 300 and 900 meters above sea level.
The pygmy cuckoo pigeon inhabits forests in its range and occurs there in clearings and forest edges. Secondary forest is used by it if it is adjacent to primary forest.
Way of life
The dwarf cuckoo pigeon occurs solitary, in pairs or in small groups. Occasionally as many as 20 individuals congregate near a single fruiting tree. The food of the dwarf cuckoo pigeon consists of small fruits and seeds. She usually picks them straight from the branches. The dwarf cuckoo pigeon only comes to the ground to absorb stomach stones and water. However, she only drinks at water points during the dry season. Like numerous other fruit-eating pigeons, it tries to defend the fruit-bearing tree against other bird species and shows aggressive behavior towards stubborn and honey-eaters, for example .
Reproductive biology has not yet been conclusively investigated. The few nests that have so far been found were built in epiphytic ferns or small trees. It can presumably brood in all calendar months. The clutch consists of two white eggs.
literature
- Bruce M. Beehler , Thane K. Pratt: Birds of New Guinea; Distribution, Taxonomy, and Systematics . Princeton University Press, Princeton 2016, ISBN 978-0-691-16424-3 .
- 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 .