Everything about The Whistling Dove totally explained
The
Whistling Dove,
Ptilinopus layardi is a small fruit dove from
Fiji. The species is
endemic to the islands of
Kadavu and
Ono in the
Kadavu Group in the south of Fiji. It is the most primitive of the "golden doves" a small subgroup of the genus
Ptilinopus which includes two other small Fijian fruit doves, the
Golden Dove and the
Orange Dove. The group was once split into its own
genus,
Chrysoenas. The species has two other common names, the
Velvet Dove and the
Yellow-headed Dove.
The Whistling Dove is a small dove (20cm) that's sexually dimorphic in its velvety
plumage. The plumage of the male is dark green with a yellow head and undertail coverts, the female lacks the yellow plumage. They are difficult to see in the forest canopy, but can be found due to their distinctive whistling
call, a clear rising whistle followed by a falling 'tinkle' (Pratt
et al 1987). The species feeds on fruits in the canopy.
The breeding of this species hasn't been studied much, a nest described in 1982 was a 'loose thin platform' constructed with twig-like vines 3m above the ground (Beckon 1982). When breeding only the female takes care of the young, an unusual adaption within the pigeon
family. This difference in the levels of parental care has been suggested as an explnation of the sexual dimorphism in the golden doves. A single nestling was described.
The Whistling Dove is considered near threatened by the
IUCN. The species is currently common in the forests of Kadavu and Ono, with an estimated population of 10,000 birds (BirdLife International 2006). However it has a restriced range and it's declining due to
habitat loss.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Whistling Dove'.
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