Cook Islands Fruit-Dove
Ptilinopus rarotongensis
A colorful dove with a bright green body, a light gray neck and chest, a yellow undertail, and a gray tip to the tail. Most obvious features are the bright magenta forehead and chest blotch. Pacific Imperial-Pigeon is much larger, with an entirely silver neck and head and no magenta patches. Unlikely to be confused with any other species. Gives a long series of typical dove-like accelerating and shortening “coo” calls.
Taxonomy
The Lilac-crowned fruit dove occurs in the Cook Islands and is split into two subspecies with their corresponding distribution.
- Scientific name
- Ptilinopus rarotongensis
- Authority
- Hartlaub & Finsch, 1871
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Ptilinopus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Black-and-rufous Warbling Finch
Poospiza nigrorufa
Medium-sized finch. Gray above with cinnamon underparts, a white center to the belly, and a white-tipped tail. Note the long white eyebrow that becomes cinnamon behind the eye and the white moustache stripe. Favors shrubby areas and open woodland near water, but also frequents gardens. Sings a series of three notes: “tweet tweet-chew,” or “Who dressed you?”
Sumba Boobook
Ninox rudolfi
A brown owl with a rounded head, dark eyes, brown upperparts and crown with extensive white markings, a prominent white throat, and thick brown bands on the underparts. Occupies forest, forest edge, and mangroves in the lowlands and foothills. Encountered as pairs, singles, or small groups. Restricted to Sumba Island. Separated from Least Boobook by dark eyes, extensive white spotting on crown, and barred underparts. Song a persistent “kok-kok-kok…”.
Band-tailed Pigeon
Patagioenas fasciata
Large dove found in mature montane forests from the western U.S. and Canada into Middle and South America. Soft blue-gray above and unique purplish-gray below, with white crescent on the nape. Yellow feet. Bill is yellow with black tip in northern populations, all yellow in southern ones. Forms large flocks in coniferous forests and montane areas where it feeds on seeds and fruits. When it takes off, wings make loud clapping sound.
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