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Goliath Imperial Pigeon
The goliath imperial pigeon (''Ducula goliath''), also known as the New Caledonian imperial pigeon and the notou, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to New Caledonia. Its natural habitat is humid forests. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as a near-threatened species. Taxonomy This species was described as ''Carpophaga'' (''Phænorhina'') ''goliath'' by George Robert Gray in 1859. It is a monotypic species. Description The goliath imperial pigeon is about long, making it one of the largest species of arboreal pigeon. It is a slender bird with a long tail, weighing . The head and neck are blue-grey. The upperparts and wings are sooty-grey, with a grey panel on the primaries' bases. The tail is black and has a dark chestnut band. The neck and upper breast have bifurcated feathers, so they appear shaggy or furrowed. The lower breast is sooty-grey, the belly and flanks are purplish-chestnut, and the vent is buffy-yell ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Robert Gray
George Robert Gray (8 July 1808 – 6 May 1872) was an English zoology, zoologist and author, and head of the Ornithology, ornithological section of the British Museum, now the Natural History Museum, London, Natural History Museum, London for forty-one years. He was the younger brother of the zoologist John Edward Gray and the son of the botanist Samuel Frederick Gray. George Gray's most important publication was his ''Genera of Birds'' (1844–49), illustrated by David William Mitchell and Joseph Wolf, which included 46,000 references. Biography He was bornon 8 July 1808 in Little Chelsea, London, to Samuel Frederick Gray, naturalist and pharmacologist, and Elizabeth (née Forfeit), his wife. He was educated at Merchant Taylor's School. Gray started at the British Museum as Assistant Keeper of the Zoology Branch in 1831. He began by cataloguing insects, and published an ''Entomology of Australia'' (1833) and contributed the entomogical section to an English edition of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isle Of Pines (New Caledonia)
The Isle of Pines (, ; ) is an island in the Pacific Ocean, in the archipelago of New Caledonia, an overseas collectivity of France. The island is part of the commune (municipality) of L'Île-des-Pins, in the South Province of New Caledonia. The Isle of Pines is nicknamed ' ("the closest island to Paradise"). The island is around and measures by . It lies southeast of Grande Terre, New Caledonia's main island, and is southeast of the capital Nouméa. There is one airport (code ILP) with a runway. The Isle of Pines is surrounded by the New Caledonia Barrier Reef. The inhabitants of the island are mainly native Melanesian Kanaks, and the population is 2,000 (estimated 2006) (1989 population 1,465). The island is rich with animal life and is home to unusual creatures such as the crested gecko '' Correlophus ciliatus'' and the world's largest gecko, ''Rhacodactylus leachianus''. The ' is the island's highest point, at elevation. River Ouro is the longest river. His ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birds Described In 1859
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the bee hummingbird to the common ostrich. There are over 11,000 living species and they are split into 44 orders. More than half are passerine or "perching" birds. Birds have wings whose development varies according to species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds. Wings, which are modified forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the loss of flight in some birds, including ratites, penguins, and diverse endemic island species. The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely adapted for flight. Some bird species of aquatic environments, particularly seabirds and some waterbirds, have furthe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Endemic Birds Of New Caledonia
This article is one of a series providing information about endemism among birds in the world's various zoogeographic zones. For an overview of this subject, see Endemism in birds. Patterns of endemism New Caledonia has a single endemic family, the Rhynochetidae. Endemic Bird Areas Birdlife International has defined the whole of New Caledonia—the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands (Ouvéa, Lifou and Maré), the Île des Pins and other smaller surrounding islands—as an Endemic Bird Area (EBA). List of species The following is a list of species endemic to New Caledonia. Except where indicated, the species is only found on Grande Terre. * White-bellied goshawk * † Powerful goshawk * † Gracile goshawk * New Caledonian rail * † New Caledonian gallinule * Kagu * † Lowland kagu * Cloven-feathered dove * New Caledonian imperial pigeon * † New Caledonian ground dove * New Caledonian lorikeet * Horned parakeet - found on Grande Terre and Ouvéa * New ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ducula
''Ducula'' is a genus of the pigeon family Columbidae, collectively known as imperial pigeons. They are large to very large pigeons with a heavy build and medium to long tails. They are arboreal, feed mainly on fruit and are closely related to the other genus of fruit-eating doves, ''Ptilinopus''. Both genera display brightly coloured plumage, predominantly green, often with contrasting under-parts of purple, orange or red. Some ''Ducula'' have prominently swollen ceres. They have large gapes and swallow seeds whole, playing an important role in seed dispersal. Imperial pigeons are found in forests of southern Asia, New Guinea, northern Australia and the Pacific islands. Many species are nomadic, travelling long distances to exploit seasonal fruit sources. Some undertake migrations and all are strong fliers. Because of habitat loss and predation, species of ''Ducula'' are amongst the most threatened of avian species globally. Taxonomy The genus ''Ducula'' was introduced in 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Near-threatened Species
A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify for the threatened status. The IUCN notes the importance of reevaluating near-threatened taxa at appropriate intervals. The rationale used for near-threatened taxa usually includes the criteria of vulnerable which are plausible or nearly met, such as reduction in numbers or range. Those designated since 2001 that depend on conservation efforts to not become threatened are no longer separately considered conservation-dependent species. IUCN Categories and Criteria version 2.3 Before 2001, the IUCN used the version 2.3 Categories and Criteria to assign conservation status, which included a separate category for conservation-dependent species ("Conservation Dependent", LR/cd). With this category system, Near Threatened and Con ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Game (hunting)
Game or quarry is any wild animal hunted for animal products (primarily meat), for recreation ("field sports, sporting"), or for trophy hunting, trophies. The species of animals hunted as game varies in different parts of the world and by different local jurisdictions, though most are terrestrial animal, terrestrial mammals and birds. Fish caught non-commercial fishing, commercially (recreational fishing) are also referred to as game fish. By continent and region The range of animal species hunted by humans varies in different parts of the world. This is influenced by climate, faunal diversity, taste (sociology), popular taste and locally accepted views about what can or cannot be legitimately hunted. Sometimes a distinction is also made between varieties and breeds of a particular animal, such as wild turkey and domestic turkey. The flesh of the animal, when butchered for consumption, is often described as having a "gamey" flavour. This difference in taste can be attributed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Primary Forest
An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without Disturbance (ecology), disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines primary forests as naturally regenerated forests of native tree species where there are no clearly visible indications of human activity and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed. One-third (34 percent) of the world's forests are primary forests. Old-growth features include diverse tree-related structures that provide diverse wildlife habitats that increases the biodiversity of the forested ecosystem. Virgin or first-growth forests are old-growth forests that have never been logged. The concept of diverse tree structure includes multi-layered canopies and Canopy (biology), canopy gaps, greatly varying tree heights and diameters, and diverse tree species and classes and sizes of woody debr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grande Terre (New Caledonia)
Grande Terre () is the largest and principal island of New Caledonia, which is a territory of France. History Until about 37 million years ago, the island was completely submerged under the ocean. British explorer James Cook sighted Grande Terre in 1774 and named it "New Caledonia", Caledonia being the Latin name for what is now Scotland. The island's mountains reminded him of Scotland. Eventually, the name "New Caledonia" became applied to Grande Terre and its surrounding islands. It was annexed by the French Empire and became a penal colony in 1853. Today, Grande Terre has about 268,000 residents. Geography The largest settlement on Grande Terre is Nouméa, the capital city of New Caledonia. Locals refer to Grande Terre as "Le Caillou", the pebble. The island has a fairly hot and humid climate, though varying as the south-east trade winds bring relatively cool air. Surrounding the island and especially to the north-west is the New Caledonian barrier reef. The island is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight Bird skeleton, skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the bee hummingbird to the common ostrich. There are over 11,000 living species and they are split into 44 Order (biology), orders. More than half are passerine or "perching" birds. Birds have Bird wing, wings whose development varies according to species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds. Wings, which are modified forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the Flightless bird, loss of flight in some birds, including ratites, penguins, and diverse endemism, endemic island species. The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monotypic Species
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispecific" or "monospecific" is sometimes preferred. In botanical nomenclature, a monotypic genus is a genus in the special case where a genus and a single species are simultaneously described. Theoretical implications Monotypic taxa present several important theoretical challenges in biological classification. One key issue is known as "Gregg's Paradox": if a single species is the only member of multiple hierarchical levels (for example, being the only species in its genus, which is the only genus in its family), then each level needs a distinct definition to maintain logical structure. Otherwise, the different taxonomic ranks become effectively identical, which creates problems for organizing biological diversity in a hierarchical system. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
International Union For Conservation Of Nature
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. It is involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy, and education. IUCN's mission is to "influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable". Over the past decades, IUCN has widened its focus beyond conservation ecology and now incorporates issues related to sustainable development in its projects. IUCN does not itself aim to mobilize the public in support of nature conservation. It tries to influence the actions of governments, business and other stakeholders by providing information and advice and through building partners ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
