Thick-billed Ground-Pigeon
Trugon terrestris
A large ground pigeon of lowland and foothill forest. Plump with dark upperparts and pale rufous flanks. White cheek with a low crest behind the head and a bright red eye. Pale legs and a long, thick, pale-tipped bill. Shy and difficult to see. Forages on the ground and often flicks its tail. Thick bill and white cheek differentiate it from any similar-sized ground bird. Call, a single, flutelike “hoo!” given at regular intervals. Sounds like blowing over the top of a bottle.
Identification
This robust species grows to a length of 33 cm (13 in); the sexes are similar in appearance. The upper parts are a uniform bluish-grey or brownish-grey, the breast is grey and the belly orangey-buff. The beak is broad with a pale tip, the ear coverts are pale and there is a short crest on the nape. The underwing coverts are boldly streaked in black and white but the tail is unbanded. The legs are pink.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Trugon terrestris
- Authority
- Gray, GR, 1849
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Trugon
Range and habitat
The range is restricted to the island of New Guinea. Its habitat is lowland forest at altitudes up to about 650 m (2,000 ft). Although usually found in primary humid forest, it seems to be able to make use of partially cleared areas.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The thick-billed ground pigeon usually forages alone, but is sometimes seen in pairs. It is generally shy, staying mainly on the ground and running away into the undergrowth when disturbed, but launching itself vigorously into the air with rapidly beating wings when it feels threatened. It flicks its tail downwards frequently as it walks. It feeds on fruits and seeds that have fallen to the ground. It picks up fruit with its beak and hammers it on the ground to split it, exposing and eating the seeds. Small items are swallowed whole. It sometimes visits the display arenas of the magnificent bird-of-paradise in order to forage for regurgitated seeds.<p>This bird roosts at night on low branches. Breeding seems to take place at any time of year, with nests having been found between February and October. The nest is a hollow in the ground, perhaps concealed between the buttress roots of a large tree. It may be unlined or may incorporate a few twigs or leaves, or may be rather more elaborate. A single white egg is laid and is incubated by both parents, the male routinely sitting during the daytime. The fledged chick stays in its parents' territory for about a month.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Rufous-necked Puffbird
Malacoptila rufa
Distinctive puffbird; look for the orange cheeks and face that contrast with the streaky gray head. Occurs in the lower levels of humid and seasonally flooded forests, occasionally interacting with mixed-species flocks and attending army-ant swarms. Typically sits motionless for long periods. The typical song is a very thin descending trill that is easily missed, resembling the song of Semicollared Puffbird.
Rondonia Warbling-Antbird
Hypocnemis ochrogyna
A relatively small antbird. Males are heavily streaked black and white on the head and back with a lightly streaked breast, and rusty flanks and lower back. Females have a browner tinge to the head and back. Inhabits the understory of humid primary forest and old second growth, favoring tree fall gaps. Sometimes accompanies mixed-species flocks and regularly attends army-ant swarms. The song begins with a clear series of 4-6 notes and finishes with harsh notes.
Eared Pitta
Hydrornis phayrei
This handsome pitta is about the color of a chocolate chip cookie. Only the warmer-colored male is “eared”, possessing the speckled silvery tufts on either side of the head. The female is darker, with extensive black speckling on the underparts. Both sexes have an elegant black mask extending from the bill base to the nape. Forages unobtrusively on the floor of lowland rainforests and dry deciduous forests. Gives a long, drawn-out whistle with the second half being deflected upwards.
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