Beautiful Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus pulchellus Scientific name definitions

18–20 cm; 68–76 g. Forehead and crown purplish red; sides of head, foreneck and breast grey; throat and forepart of face white; many feathers of lower breast tipped with white, especially along lower edge of grey breast shield, where they usually form a whitish border; immediately below this is a broad band of dark reddish purple, with an orange patch below it; flanks green and yellow; belly yellow to orange; undertail-coverts orange; upperparts green; pale yellow fringes to secondaries and inner primaries; bill olive-green; legs purplish. Sexes similar but female with less extensive purple and orange on belly. Juvenile lacks crimson cap and has only a suggestion of purple and orange on belly. Race decorus said to have proportionately longer tail and more prominent white tips to breast feathers.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Primary and secondary forest, mainly at medium altitude up to 750 m, though locally in lowlands and as high as 1370 m; prefers high rainfall areas; in Papua New Guinea, distribution generally complementary to that of P. coro­nulatus, which is primarily a lowland species. Found at all levels of the forest from the understorey to the canopy, at the forest edge, and in native gardens.

No information on local or regional movements. Flight swift and direct.

Frugivorous, taking fruit from a variety of trees, shrubs, palms and vines; including Tristiropsis cynaroides, Gymnacranthera paniculata, Endiandra sp., Polyalthia sp., the Cabbage Tree Palm Livistona and peppers Piper, swallowing fruit up to 2cm in diameter (2 Frith, H. J., F. H. J. Crome, and T. O. Wolfe (1976). Food of fruit-pigeons in New Guinea. Emu 76(2):49–58. Close ). Active and acrobatic when feeding; usually feeds singly or in pairs.

The ‘hoo’ series is high-pitched and accelerates moderately; the pitch varies and individual notes are downslurred or unslurred. The seesaw is short, melancholy and distinctive, incorporating a very faint third note between the two main notes (3 Pratt, T. K., and B. M. Beehler (2015) Birds of New Guinea. Second edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ).

Active nests have been found in Jun–Aug but only limited information available; in Port Moresby area, morphological data on several Ptilinopus including present species revealed active spermatogenesis all year round. Nest is a loose slight platform of twigs and a few leaves, placed on lateral branches near the top of a slender understorey tree, or on a palm frond or other low platform 2–3 m above the ground. Lays 1 white egg.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Few details available but reported to be common in many areas; said typically to be commoner than P. coronulatus in areas of co-occurrence. Extensive range, combined with apparent adaptability to man-altered habitats and reported abundance, suggests species is relatively secure.