Great cuckoo-dove

Great cuckoo-dove
photo of pigeon with whitish head, brown body, and blackish outer wings
R. r. reinwardti
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Reinwardtoena
Species:
R. reinwardti
Binomial name
Reinwardtoena reinwardti
(Temminck, 1824)
Map of New Guinea with green shading showing the great cuckoo-dove's range
  Range (year-round)
Synonyms[2][3][4]
List

The great cuckoo-dove (Reinwardtoena reinwardti) is a species of bird in the pigeon family, Columbidae. First described by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1824, it is found on New Guinea, several surrounding islands, and Wallacea, where it mainly inhabits primary forest and the forest edge. It is a large, distinctive pigeon, with a length of 47.5–52.5 cm (18.7–20.7 in) and a weight of 208–305 g (7.3–10.8 oz). In adults, the head, neck, and breast are whitish or blue-grey, the underparts are pale bluish-grey, the upperparts are chestnut-brown, and the outer wings are black. Females differ from males in having more yellowish irises and duller orbital skin. Juveniles are mainly dull grey-brown, with dirty-white throats and bellies.

The species feeds on fruit and seeds. It is usually seen alone or in pairs, but forms flocks with other frugivorous birds at fruit trees. It is known to defend fruiting shrubs it is feeding on, an uncommon foraging behaviour among birds. Breeding occurs throughout the year and varies in different parts of its range, seemingly peaking from October to December on New Guinea. Nests are flat or slightly concave platforms made of sticks, moss, roots, and ferns, and contain a single white egg. The species is classified as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to its sufficiently large range and stable population.

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Reinwardtoena reinwardti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22690589A93278732. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22690589A93278732.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ^ Salvadori, Tommaso (1893). Catalogue of the Columbae, or pigeons, in the Collection of the British Museum. Vol. 21. London: British Museum of Natural History. pp. 367–368. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.8233. OCLC 988725359. Archived from the original on 2023-11-08. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  3. ^ Cottrell, G. William; Greenway, James C.; Mayr, Ernst; Paynter, Raymond A.; Peters, James Lee; Traylor, Melvin A.; University, Harvard (1937). Check-list of birds of the world. Vol. 3. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. p. 36. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.14581. LCCN 31029973. OCLC 12228458. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2023-11-27 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :22 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).