| Mindoro imperial pigeon | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Columbiformes |
| Family: | Columbidae |
| Genus: | Ducula |
| Species: | D. mindorensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Ducula mindorensis (Whitehead, 1896) | |
TheMindoro imperial pigeon (Ducula mindorensis), also known as Mindoro zone-tailed pigeon (Zonophaps mindorensis),[3] Great Mindoro pigeon or Pink-throated Imperial pigeon, is abirdspecies in thefamilyColumbidae.[4] It isendemic to the mountains ofMindoro in centralPhilippines and is the largest pigeon in the country reaching 50cm in length.[4][5][6][7][8]
It is classified as aNear-threatened species according to theIUCN Red List.[6][1] Its main threats are habitat loss and hunting.[4][6][7][9] TheIUCN Red List roughly estimates the population to be 800 to 3,000 remaining mature individuals.
The Mindoro imperial pigeon is the largestPhilippine pigeon.[8] It measures from 42cm to 50cm in length.[3][7] Its wings are about 24cm long and its tail measures from 15cm to 17cm.[3][7] Its forehead and throat are both pinkish grey. The head, neck and most underparts are bluish grey, darkest on the belly and under the tail. The hind neck goes from dark grey to black around the upper part of its back. The rest of the back and the inner wings go from a bronzy red colour to a green colour. The majority of the upper parts of the bird are emerald green. It has a black ring around and extending behind the eye. The tail is greenish black with an obvious grey band in the centre.[10] The feathers under the tail are grey with a cinnamon coloured tinge. They have a black bill and their legs are pinkish red.[6][7] In males, the iris is bright yellow, and the eyelids are red. In females, the iris is brownish yellow, and the eyelids are yellow orange.[3][4][7][8][9] No information on juvenileplumage was recorded.[4][7]
The Mindoro imperial pigeon is a bird from the genusDucula, otherwise known as the group consisting of imperial pigeons.[11] The speciesDucula mindorensis, formerly known asCarpophaga mindorensis andZonophaps mindorensis, was first described byJohn Whitehead in 1896.[4] Together withDucula radiata, it forms asuperspecies.[4] It is also known to be closely related toDucula poliocephala andDucula forsteni, and these three species together may relatePtilinopus fruit doves to other imperial pigeons.[4][10]
The Mindoro imperial pigeon can be seen singly, in pairs or in groups up to four individuals.[3][7][8][9] This species tends to roost together withDucula poliocephala andColumba vitiensis in the canopy.[4][7][9] They tend to be inconspicuous, making it difficult to observe whenroosting.[7][9]
No recordings were found,[6] but it is known to be a distinctdisyllabic call.[7][9] Their voice is similar to the other imperial pigeons of Mindoro, but much more resonant and deeper.[7] The Mindoro imperial pigeon's call is frequently heard at dawn.[3][7]
Little to no information is known about their diet.[4] The Mindoro imperial pigeon was seen feeding on fruits, from small berries[7][9] up to large ones as big as the size of a pigeon's egg.[3][7][4]
No information can be found about their breeding behaviours.[4][5][8] One male was recorded as being in breeding conditions in April and one immature was found in August.[7]
The Mindoro imperial pigeon is distributed throughoutMindoro, where sufficient closed canopy forests remain. They used to be found mostly in mountain forests above 1000m.[3][4][5][12] However, in 1991, most of the observations were made in understory trees of the remaining low altitude forests of Mindoro (800-950m). IUCN previously assessed this bird asEndangered with an estimate of 600 - 1,700 mature individuals but in 2024 this species was reassessed asNear-threatened species with a population estimate of 800 - 3,000 mature individuals. This revised estimate is not a sign that numbers are increasing but rather a reassessment of a very rough estimates based on theorized population density and its theorized extent of occurrence. This species is rare and uncommon but known to be found more easily in Mount Ilong andMount Halcon.[6][7][9] Its habitat is threatened by logging,[4][7][9] cultivation, deforestation and forest destruction.[6]
Conservation actions proposed include more surveys to better understand population, distribution and ecology, along with efforts to protect the remaining forest on Mount Halcon and lobby for higher priority protection status.
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