Family Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae)

Least Concern

New Guinea Bronzewing (Henicophaps albifrons)

figure, drawing, illustration of 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

.

Closely related to H. foersteri. Two subspecies recognized.

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

    Recommended citation

    Baptista, L.F., Trail, P.W., Horblit, H.M. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). New Guinea Bronzewing (Henicophaps albifrons). 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 https://www.hbw.com/node/54188 on 7 December 2019).