White-headed fruit dove
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Ptilinopus eugeniae

The white-headed fruit dove (Ptilinopus eugeniae ) is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae. It was described by the English ornithologist John Gould in 1856, and the specific name eugeniae honours the French empress Eugénie de Montijo. Adults of the species have white heads, a purplish-red breast patch, a grey shoulder patch, olive-green upperparts, greenish underparts with a blue tinge, and a yellowish vent. Juveniles have green heads with the white restricted to the forehead and upper throat, a much smaller grey shoulder patch, and the red breast patch restricted to the centre of the breast.

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The species is endemic to Makira and the nearby islands of Ugi and Malaupaina in the Solomon Islands. It inhabits lowland, hill, and ridge forest, along with neighbouring agricultural areas, and is especially common in foothills. Its diet consists of small-seeded fruits and berries. The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers it near-threatened. Although it can adapt to disturbed habitat, it is threatened by deforestation and habitat loss.

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Appearance

The white-headed fruit dove is a small, plump, and short­-tailed species of fruit dove, with a length of 18–22 cm (7.1–8.7 in). The entire head and upper throat are snowy white, while the back of the neck is white with a pale yellow tinge. The rest of the upperparts are mainly olive green, with the neck, mantle and scapulars having a coppery luster and the wing being darker green with a bluish gloss. The marginal coverts are pale grey and form a well-defined shoulder patch and there are also small grey spots on the covert feathers and tertiary feathers. The breast is rich purplish-red with a dark purple border. The underparts are duller green, with a bluish or greyish tinge, while the vent is pale yellow to white. The bill is dull maroon at the base and turns yellowish at the tip, while the legs are purplish-red with a bluish tinge. The iris is orange-red, with the skin around the eye being blue-grey to dark green. Both sexes look similar. Juveniles have green heads with white restricted to the forehead and upper throat, a much smaller grey shoulder patch, and the red breast patch restricted to the centre of the breast. They also have smaller grey spots on the tertials and greener underparts lacking a bluish tinge.

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The yellow­-bibbed fruit dove may be confused with the white-headed fruit dove, but males of the former species can be easily told apart by their bright yellow breastband. Females and juveniles are more similar, but lack the grey shoulder patch and have brighter yellow vents. It differs from the claret-breasted fruit dove in its white head and upper throat, dark purple border to the breast patch, and duller green underparts. The white-headed fruit dove can also be told apart from other species of pigeons that occur in its range by its snowy-white head and red breast patch.

The advertising call of the species is a soft two-note hu..whoOo given at intervals of 3–6 seconds. The first note is short and weak, while the second note is longer (around 0.5 seconds long) and more emphasised. The phrase is occasionally repeated a few times.

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Distribution

Geography

Countries
Biogeographical realms

The white-headed fruit dove is endemic to the Solomon Islands, where it is found on the islands of Makira, Ugi, and Malaupaina. It inhabits lowland, hill, and ridge forest, along with neighbouring agricultural areas, up to elevations of 700 m (2,300 ft). It is especially numerous in foothills and may prefer hill forest. It also shows the ability to adapt to disturbed habitat, with a 2015 survey of Makira showing that it appeared to prefer human-modified areas like secondary forest, gardens, and cocoa plantations.

White-headed fruit dove habitat map
White-headed fruit dove habitat map
White-headed fruit dove
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Habits and Lifestyle

The white-headed fruit dove is usually seen in ones or pairs, though small groups may form at large fruiting trees, where it forms mixed-species foraging flocks with the silver-capped fruit dove and chestnut-bellied imperial pigeon. The species' flight is fast and straight and it will often fly over open areas where it is more visible than in forest. The species is frugivorous, feeding on small-seeded fruit and berries. It sometimes feeds on solitary trees away from forest. Little is known about the white-headed fruit dove's breeding habits, but a juvenile was recorded in September.

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior

Population

Population number

The white-headed fruit dove is considered near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the IUCN Red List due to its small range and population, along with logging on the islands it inhabits. It is fairly common in its range, especially in foothills, but its population is currently thought to be decreasing moderately rapidly. Although it appears to be able to adapt to disturbed habitat, deforestation and habitat loss may be a threat to it.

References

1. White-headed fruit dove Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-headed_fruit_dove
2. White-headed fruit dove on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22691524/93315322

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