Amethyst Brown-Dove
Phapitreron amethystinus
A medium-sized dove of foothill and montane forest. Brown on the upperparts, head, and chest, with a grayish belly and pale gray corners to the tail. Note the pale streak under the eye and the bare pink facial skin in front of and behind it. Similar to White-eared Brown-Dove, but Amethyst has purplish iridescence on the back of the neck and pale buff under the base of the tail. Voice includes a deep “hoop,” given singly or in series of two or three. Also gives a deep growling sound.
Taxonomy
According to Constantino (2011), the amethyst brown dove is strikingly alike with white-eared brown dove due to the presence of subocular white lines just below the eye. However, it can be distinguished from the rest as they are rare deep-woods birds with colors that are generally darker brown than P. leucotis, with bills that are noticeably longer and heavier than its tarsus and an extensive bluer purple patch on its mantle. Some of its physical features include a grey tinge and purplish brown underparts, rich tan undertail-coverts, dark and white sub-ocular eye-lines, reddish-brown chin and throat with darker streaking, shading on breast to medium to darkish dull brown with narrowly edged dark back and scapulars. They also have pink flesh around the eye with amethyst or purple iridescence on the nape.<p>Four subspecies are recognized:<p>Under the HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World, this has been split into three species. With the nominate and imeldae subspecies being retained as the Amethyst brown-dove while the maculipectus being named the Grey-breasted Brown-Dove and the possibly extinct frontalis classified as the Cebu brown dove.
- Scientific name
- Phapitreron amethystinus
- Authority
- Bonaparte, 1855
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Phapitreron
Range and habitat
It occurs in tropical moist lowland forest and tropical moist montane Forest to 2,500 meters above sea level (2,000 m on Negros and Panay and unknown in Cebu). It occurs in humid interiors and dense secondary forest <p>This species occurs on varying rarity throughout its range however. As the IUCN Red List follows the HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World, it has assessed each split species. <p>The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as generally rather uncommon, although very common in the Sierra Madre in northern Luzon. It is classified as a Least-concern species with the population thought to be stable. <p>Considered extremely rare in range. Negros is one of the most deforested islands in the country and is only found in the remnant forests. Range in Panay has not been fully surveyed but they may persist in larger numbers. IUCN estimates the population to be 2,500 to 9,999 mature individuals with the population continuing to decline. Threats including habitat loss and hunting for both food and the exotic pet trade.<p>The species had not been observed with certainty since 1892, however it has since been reported on several occasions between 2007 and 2012, although these sightings have not been verified. If it still persists, it is threatened by habitat loss and poaching. Cebu has <0.03% of its original forest cover and is the most deforested large island in the Philippines. It is classified as Critically Endangered (Possibly extinct). Any remaining population must be tiny, and the population is therefore placed in the band 1-49 mature individuals. It is #46 on the EDGE species of birds.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
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