Whistling Dove
Encyclopedia
The Whistling Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus layardi), also known as the Velvet Dove or Yellow-headed Dove, is a small fruit dove from Fiji
. The species is endemic
to the islands of Kadavu
and Ono
in the Kadavu Group
in the south of Fiji.
, Chrysoenas.
in its velvety plumage
. The plumage of the male is dark green with a yellow head and undertail coverts, the female lacks the yellow plumage. They are difficult to see in the forest canopy, but can be found due to their distinctive call
, a clear rising whistle followed by a falling 'tinkle'
. This difference in the levels of parental care has been suggested as an explanation of the sexual dimorphism in the golden doves. A single nestling was described.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. The species is endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the islands of Kadavu
Kadavu Group
The Kadavu Group is an archipelago south of Viti Levu, one of Fiji's two main islands. Dominated by Kadavu Island, the fourth largest island in Fiji, the group also includes Galoa, Ono, and a number of islets in the Great Astrolabe Reef....
and Ono
Ono Island
Ono Island is a member of the Kadavu Group, an outlier to Kadavu Island, to the south of Viti Levu, one of Fiji's two main islands. It is separated from Kadavu Island by the Ono Channel. Located at 18.88° South and 178.50° East, this volcanic island is enclosed by the Great Astrolabe Reef. It...
in the Kadavu Group
Kadavu Group
The Kadavu Group is an archipelago south of Viti Levu, one of Fiji's two main islands. Dominated by Kadavu Island, the fourth largest island in Fiji, the group also includes Galoa, Ono, and a number of islets in the Great Astrolabe Reef....
in the south of Fiji.
Taxonomy
The Whistling Fruit Dove is the most primitive of the "golden doves", a small subgroup of the genus Ptilinopus which includes two other small Fijian fruit doves, the Golden Fruit Dove and the Orange Fruit Dove. The group was once split into its own genusGenus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, Chrysoenas.
Description
The Whistling Fruit Dove is a small dove (20 cm) that is sexually dimorphicSexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
in its velvety plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
. The plumage of the male is dark green with a yellow head and undertail coverts, the female lacks the yellow plumage. They are difficult to see in the forest canopy, but can be found due to their distinctive call
Bird song
Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs are distinguished by function from calls.-Definition:The distinction between songs and calls is based upon...
, a clear rising whistle followed by a falling 'tinkle'
Breeding
The breeding of this species has not been studied much, a nest described in 1982 was a 'loose thin platform' constructed with twig-like vines 3 m above the ground (Beckon 1982). When breeding only the female takes care of the young, an unusual adaption within the pigeon familyFamily (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
. This difference in the levels of parental care has been suggested as an explanation of the sexual dimorphism in the golden doves. A single nestling was described.
Conservation
The Whistling Fruit Dove is considered near threatened by the IUCN. The species is currently common in the forests of Kadavu and Ono, with an estimated population of 10,000 birds (BirdLife International 2006). However it has a restriced range and it is declining due to habitat loss.Sources
- Beckon, W (1982) "A breeding record of the Whistling Dove of Kadavu, Fiji" Notornis 29(1): 1-7 http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_29-1982/Notornis_29_1.pdf
- BirdLife International (2006) Species factsheet: Ptilinopus layardi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 17/9/2006
- Pratt, H., Bruner, P & Berrett, D. (1987) The Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific Princeton University Press:Princeton ISBN 0-691-08402-5