Alternative name: Red-knobbed Pigeon
- Ducula rubricera
Identification
38-45 cm.
- Big cherry red knob-like cere (yellow in some birds)
- Pale mauve-pink head, nape and upper breast shading through darker pink on lower breast to chestnut on belly, flanks and undertail-coverts
- Pale silvery grey hindneck
- Brilliant iridescent emerald bronzy or golden green rump and wing-coverts
- Dark glossy green and blackish blue secondaries and tail feathers
- Dark red eye
- rufigula has pink on head restricted to cheeks and throat and a pale grey neck and breast, deeper chestnut underparts
Sexes similar, juveniles like adults but without enlarged cere
Distribution
Bismarck Archipelago and Solomon Islands.
Common to abundant in lowland and hill forests, however population status and trends not known.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies recognized[1]:
- D. r. rubricera in the Bismarck Archipelago
- D. r. rufigula on the Solomon Islands (except Rennell)
Habitat
Moist lowland forests and secondary growth. Also in fruiting trees in cleared areas.
Occurs from sea-level up to 300 m on Bougainville, up to 700 m on New Ireland, to 1000 m on New Britain and up to 1100 m on the Solomon Islands.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on fruits and berries.
Forages in the canopy, usually singly or in pairs, however flocks of up to 34 birds recorded.
Breeding
Not well known. Birds in breeding conditions recorded from July to September on Bougainville, nesting reported in low shrubs in central Solomons in February. Lays 1 egg.
Movements
A strong flyer but no informations on movements.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved November 2016)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Red-knobbed Imperial Pigeon. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 7 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Red-knobbed_Imperial_Pigeon
