Pied cuckoo-dove

Pied cuckoo-dove
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Columbiformes
Family:	Columbidae
Genus:	Reinwardtoena
Species:	R. browni
Binomial name
Reinwardtoena browni (Sclater, P. L., 1877)
Synonyms
Macropygia browni Sclater, P. L., 1877 Reinwardtoena browni solitaria Salomonsen, F., 1972

The pied cuckoo-dove (Reinwardtoena browni) is a species of bird in the pigeon family, Columbidae. First described by English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1877, it is endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago, where it mainly inhabits lowland and hill forests at elevations of up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It is a large, distinctive pigeon, with a length of 40–46 cm (16–18 in) and a weight of 279–325 g (9.8–11.5 oz). Adults are mainly black and white. The heads and underparts are whitish, while the wings, tails, and upperparts are black. Both sexes look alike. Juveniles are mainly sooty-grey in colour.

The species is usually seen alone or in pairs and usually rather hard-to-find. It feeds on fruit. The only known nest was found in May 1930 and was a simple structure made of twigs on rocky terrain near a stream and contained a single white egg. The dove's population is estimated to number 15,000–30,000 total birds; it is listed as being near threatened on the IUCN Red List due to a decline in its population caused by deforestation in the lowland forests it inhabits. Some studies have found that the species is moderately tolerant of habitat degradation and have suggested that it be categorised as being of least concern.