Family Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae)
Least Concern
New Guinea Bronzewing (Henicophaps albifrons)
Taxonomy
French: Colombine à front blanc German: Weißstirntaube Spanish: Paloma bronce frentiblanca
Other common names:
White-capped Bronzewing,
White-capped Ground Pigeon
Taxonomy:
Henicophaps albifrons
G. R. Gray
, 1862,Waigeo, West Papuan Islands
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Subspecies and Distribution
H. a. albifrons
G. R. Gray, 1862 – W Papuan Is (Waigeo, Salawati, Misool), New Guinea and Yapen I.
H. a. schlegeli
(Rosenberg, 1866) – Aru Is.
Descriptive notes
34–41 cm; 247 g. A stocky pigeon with an unusually long, heavy bill. General coloration sooty grey, sooty purple and blackish; forecrown white; iridescent patches on... read more
Voice
Advertising call, delivered from subcanopy perch, is rapid, hollow and slightly rising “whup-whup-... read more
Habitat
Wet forest and monsoon forest; sometimes also teak plantations, dry second growth and at forest... read more
Food and feeding
Takes fallen fruits, grubs and insects. Uses its unusually long, heavy bill to probe into moist ground and into large fruits. Feeds... read more
Breeding
Based on observations of juveniles and anatomical evidence from specimens, breeding speculated to take place at least during dry season and... read more
Movements
Little information. May be nomadic. Flight is strong and surprisingly silent, even when species is... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Previously considered Near Threatened. Widely distributed but generally scarce and is probably rare in both E & NE highlands of Papua New Guinea... read more
Closely related to H. foersteri. Two subspecies recognized.