Spectacled Imperial-Pigeon

Ducula perspicillata

A large pigeon with a green back, gray underparts, a darker gray head, and a bold white eye-ring. Juveniles are merely duller versions of adults. A bird of lowlands and hills, found within the canopy of forest and forest edge, normally in singles, pairs, or small groups where fruiting trees are present. Routinely heard call is a descending series of six deep hooting notes: “hoot-hoot-hoot-hoot-hoot-hoot.”

Taxonomy

The spectacled imperial pigeon is a species in the large genus of imperial pigeons, Ducula. Within the genus, it is most closely related to the Seram imperial pigeon, with which it is sometimes considered conspecific. These two species form a species group with the green imperial pigeon and elegant imperial pigeon.<p>The species' generic name comes from the Neo-Latin ducula (duke), while the specific epithet perspicillata is from the Modern Latin perspicillata (spectacled), derived the Latin perspicillum (lens), which is itself from the Latin perspicere (to see through). Alternative names for the orange fruit dove include white-eyed imperial pigeon, white-spectacled imperial pigeon, and Moluccan imperial pigeon.<p>It is monotypic. However, the Seram imperial pigeon is sometimes considered to be a subspecies of this species.

Scientific name
Ducula perspicillata
Authority
(Temminck, 1824)
Order
Columbiformes
Family
Columbidae
Genus
Ducula

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

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