Metallic Pigeon
Columba vitiensis
Dark iridescent pigeon with a triangular throat patch the darkness of which varies geographically; it is white to pale gray across most of the range but dark in the Lesser Sundas. Found over a wide range of altitudes, from lowland into montane forests and edge. Often found in close proximity to human settlements, particularly on small islands. Forages in trees and on the ground. Vocalizations vary slightly; gives both deep booming coos and a higher pitched “COOroo...COOroo...COOroo..”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Columba vitiensis
- Authority
- Quoy & Gaimard, 1832
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Columba
Range and habitat
The metallic pigeon is distributed to tropical forests of eastern Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa and surrounding southwest Pacific islands. A subspecies, the Lord Howe pigeon, used to exist on Lord Howe Island in Australia, but was exterminated by hunting c. 1853.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
Widespread and common throughout its large range, the metallic pigeon is evaluated as being of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Western Striolated-Puffbird
Nystalus obamai
Chunky, bull-headed puffbird of lowland and foothill rainforest east of the Andes to far western Brazil. Underparts are pale with dark, vertical streaks. Also note stout, yellowish bill, and brown cap and back. Very similar to Eastern Striolated-Puffbird (limited overlap in Brazil and possibly Bolivia), but has thicker streaks on underparts. Singles or pairs perch motionless for long periods high in the canopy; usually heard before seen. Typical song is a whistled “wip wip-whirrr?, whurrrr”, with the other member of the pair responding at slightly different pitch.
Ovambo Sparrowhawk
Accipiter ovampensis
Medium-sized sparrowhawk that is normally gray, but there is a rare black morph. In all plumages, shows diagnostic white streaks along the central part of the tail, but these are hard to see. The legs and the base of the bill are yellow to reddish. On the typical gray birds, there is gray barring below which is finer and denser on the chest and throat than in other gray sparrowhawks. Generally rare in thick woodland, savanna, plantations, and gallery forest. Call is a repeated “chyek.”
Spotted Catbird
Ailuroedus maculosus
Chunky rainforest bird with emerald green upperparts, black spot below the dark red eye, and green-olive underparts with extensive pale spotting. Inhabits the Wet Tropics of northern Queensland (Cairns region), thus does not overlap with similar Green Catbird. Forages mostly in middle and upper story of the rainforest. Compare female and juvenile Satin Bowerbird (with blue eye, darker bill). Spotted Catbird is well known for its characteristic catlike yowling call.
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