Pink-bellied Imperial-Pigeon Ducula poliocephala Scientific name definitions

40–42 cm; male 510–564 g. Face and forehead greyish white grading to greyish on hindcrown and purple on nape; chin and throat cinnamon with a narrow white border between the chestnut and the very dull purplish green breast; belly pale pink; flanks and undertail-coverts chestnut; rest of plumage bronzy green or golden-green; hindneck, sides of neck and upper mantle purplish red; prominent greyish white band across centre of tail; underwing blackish and dark green; undertail blackish with greyish white band; orbital skin, legs, and feet red; bill greyish black. Female similar, but has greenish tinge on crown, less clearly defined chestnut patch on throat; sometimes rufous edging to pink belly feathers. Juvenile like female, but has less prominent rufous fringes to belly feathers.

Philippines: Luzon, Catanduanes, Mindoro, Sibuyan, Masbate, Samar, Biliran, Panay, Negros, Cebu (rediscovered 2003 (1 Paguntalan, L.M.J. and Jakosalem, P.G. (2008). Significant records of birds in forests on Cebu island, central Philippines. Forktail 24: 48–56. Close ) ), Bohol, Leyte, Dinagat, Mindanao, Basilan, and S Sulu Is (Tawitawi).

Inhabits primary and old secondary forest, now primarily in the highlands at 400–1500 m; frequents the tops of forest trees. Apparently forms mixed-species flocks for roosting with, e.g., D. mindorensis and Columba vitiensis.

None known.

No information available.

Advertising call is a short phrase of two, low-pitched, near-identical hoots repeated at intervals. Usually each hoot lasts c. 0·4–0·5 seconds and is upwardly inflected at the end: “whoooUw..whoooUw”. Also a longer series of similar but shorter hoots given at a faster pace. Possibly some geographical differences in voice, e.g. on Sulu Is, a very different call has been recorded, starting with a dry rattle and followed by a decelerating series of low-pitched hoots.

No information available.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened. Very little information on status, but the species is generally considered uncommon. It is certainly in decline as a result of heavy hunting pressure and extensive forest clearance. It is described as still frequent on Negros and locally fairly common in PICOP logging concession, near Bislig (Mindanao). However, just 11 birds were recorded in four weeks of fieldwork on Mindoro in 1991. It was long considered extinct on Cebu but there have been records there in the Alcoy forest since 2003 (1 Paguntalan, L.M.J. and Jakosalem, P.G. (2008). Significant records of birds in forests on Cebu island, central Philippines. Forktail 24: 48–56. Close ). Extensive research required on all aspects of biology and ecology; more information required on population sizes and trends.