Family Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae)

Least Concern

Geelvink Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus speciosus)

figure, drawing, illustration of Geelvink Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus speciosus)

Taxonomy

French: Ptilope de Geelvink German: Gelbbauch-Fruchttaube Spanish: Tilopo de Geelvink
Taxonomy:

Ptilopus speciosus

Schlegel

, 1871,

islands of Numfor and Biak, in Geelvink Bay

.

Hitherto treated as a race of P. solomonensis but differs on account of its broad white lower border and outer edges to yellow breastband (vs all-yellow breastband) (3); mauve-purple belly patch clearly separated from breastband (connected in all other forms) by a narrow belt of the green that flanks the mauve (2); stronger emerald-green “hood” from nape around upper breast, a distinctly greener shade than the green of the back, wings and belly (2); no small indigo spots on upperparts (ns[1]); dark purplish preocular spot (or loral spot) vs paler purplish preocular area extending to above eye in solomonensis races ocularis and bistictus (larger area in other races, becoming fuller purplish cap in some) (ns[2]); significantly shorter wing and smaller size (at least 1). Monotypic.

Distribution:

Islands of Numfor, Biak, Padaido (Traitor’s I) and Marai (near Yapen), in Geelvink Bay (NW New Guinea).

Descriptive notes

21 cm. Small, compact-bodied and short-tailed fruit-dove; male has dark green head and upperparts, white-and-yellow breastband, large mauve belly patch surrounded by dark... read more

Voice

Song a series of 7–8 doubled “hoo” notes that accelerates slightly, e.g. “hoo-woo hoo-woo hoo-woo... read more

Habitat

A forest species, but no specific information available. Recorded between sea-level and 300 m.

Food and feeding

Frugivorous, but details of diet and foraging behaviour unrecorded.

Breeding

Virtually nothing known, beyond that the species constructs a typical fragile platform of twigs and vine tendrils placed in a shrub or... read more

Movements

Presumably sedentary.

Status and conservation

Not globally threatened. Population believed to be stable, but no estimates of overall size. Described as common on Biak. Overall range is just 2900 km².

Recommended citation

del Hoyo, J., Collar, N., Kirwan, G.M. & Garcia, E.F.J. (2017). Geelvink Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus speciosus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/467168 on 14 July 2017).