Family Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae)
Least Concern
Tanna Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus tannensis)
Taxonomy
French: Ptilope de Tanna German: Silberfleck-Fruchttaube Spanish: Tilopo de Tanna
Other common names:
Vanuatu Fruit-dove
Taxonomy:
Columba tannensis
Latham
, 1790,Tanna, Vanuatu
.Distribution:
Vanuatu, including Banks Is.
Descriptive notes
28–30 cm. Forehead, crown and face dark greenish yellow shading into dark green of rest of plumage; yellow tips or fringes to outer webs of most greater-coverts and... read more
Voice
Advertising call is a repeated single coo given at a rate of c. 1 note every 2.5 seconds. This... read more
Habitat
Favours primary and well developed secondary forest, but may be found in almost any wooded habitat... read more
Food and feeding
Frugivorous; common food plants include large strangler-figs (Moraceae) and mahogany trees (Dysoxylum, Meliaceae); fruits of vines... read more
Breeding
Nests with eggs have been found in Apr, and fully feathered nestlings at end of May, but breeding season is probably extended; there may be... read more
Movements
Locally nomadic in response to ripening of fruit crops; probably also travels between islands.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Currently considered near-threatened. Latest information reported species to be only moderately common; could soon become threatened as a result of... read more
Usually considered to form a species-group with P. wallacii, P. aurantiifrons, P. ornatus, P. perlatus and, in some accounts, P. superbus (incorporating P. temminckii); genetic data support this grouping (without P. superbus/temminckii), and also include P. hyogastrus, P. iozonus, P. viridis and P. eugeniae#R; other, unsampled species presumably belonging to this group are P. granulifrons, P. gestroi and P. insolitus. Monotypic.