The crested cuckoo-dove (''Reinwardtoena crassirostris'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

bird 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 lightweig ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Columbidae Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to the Solomon Islands archipelago. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s are

subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Description TSMF is generally found in large, disco ...

and subtropical or tropical moist

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucia ...

. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

Taxonomy and systematics

The crested cuckoo-dove was originally described in 1859 as ''Turacoena crassirostris'' by

John Gould John Gould (; 14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an English ornithologist. He published a number of monographs on birds, illustrated by plates produced by his wife, Elizabeth Gould, and several other artists, including Edward Lear, ...

on the basis of a specimen from

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the se ...

in the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its ca ...

. It was then moved to the

monotypic genus 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 "unispe ...

''Coryphoenas'' by Robert Wardlaw-Ramsay in 1890. The generic name ''Reinwardtoena'' is in honor of the naturalist Caspar Reinwardt, combining his name with the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

word ''oinas'', meaning pigeon. The specific name ''crassirostris'' is from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

words ''crassus'', meaning thick, and ''rostris'', meaning billed. Crested cuckoo-dove is the official

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contra ...

designated by the

International Ornithologists' Union The International Ornithologists' Union, formerly known as the International Ornithological Committee, is a group of about 200 international ornithologists, and is responsible for the International Ornithological Congress and other international ...

. Other common names for the species include crested pigeon, crested cuckoo dove, and crested long-tailed pigeon. The crested cuckoo-dove is one of three species in the genus '' Reinwardtoena.'' It does not have any subspecies.

Description

The crested cuckoo-dove is long. Both sexes are similar in appearance. The upperparts and the flight feathers on the tail are black, while the breast, underparts, and hindneck is bluish-gray. The throat is white and the head and crest are pale purplish-gray. The feathers on the crown and nape have a hairy texture.The iris is yellow and surrounded by a ring of red

orbital Orbital may refer to: Sciences Chemistry and physics * Atomic orbital * Molecular orbital * Hybrid orbital Astronomy and space flight * Orbit ** Earth orbit Medicine and physiology * Orbit (anatomy), also known as the ''orbital bone'' * Orbito ...

skin. The bill is orange-yellow, with a strongly hooked upper

mandible In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bon ...

, while the legs are red. Juveniles lack the crest, and are duller and duskier.

Vocalisations

The

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

call is a far-carrying, whistling ''wha...whuaaw...wha...whuaaw'', with the first note rising in pitch, and the second note being drawn-out and slurred.

Distribution and habitat

The crested cuckoo-dove is endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago, being found on the islands of Bougainville, Santa Isabel,

Makira The island of Makira (also known as San Cristobal and San Cristóbal) is the largest island of Makira-Ulawa Province in the Solomon Islands. It is third most populous island after Malaita and Guadalcanal, with a population of 55,126 as of 202 ...

Kolombangara Kolombangara (sometimes spelled ''Kulambangara'') is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the nation state of Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The name is from a local language, a rough translation of its meaning is ...

, and

. It inhabits forests and secondary growth on steep hills and in lowlands, usually at elevations of , but sometimes up to . It is thought to be nomadic.

Behaviour and ecology

The crested-cuckoo dove occurs either alone or in pairs. It feeds on fruit, such as those from the genera ''

Osmoxylon ''Osmoxylon'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. Species The genus has 60 species, which include: *'' Osmoxylon arrhenicum'' *'' Osmoxylon articulatum'' *'' Osmoxylon barbatum'' *'' Osmoxylon boerlagei'' *'' Osmoxylon born ...

'' and ''

Schefflera ''Schefflera'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. With an estimated 600–900 species, the genus represents about half of its family. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing tall, with woody stems, the absence o ...

''. It usually forages in trees, but occasionally comes down to the ground to feed. Eggs are laid in

clutches A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts) ...

of one.

Status

The crested cuckoo-dove is listed as being

near threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify fo ...

by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natur ...

(IUCN) on the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

. Although its population has not been determined, it is believed to be moderately small, and declining due to

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and hunting. Populations in lowlands are declining faster than those in hilly areas, as the former face higher rates of logging. Recommended conservation actions include assessments of the species' population size, rate of population decline and habitat loss, and protection for areas that it inhabits, along with awareness programs to reduce hunting.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1259181 crested cuckoo-dove Endemic birds of the Solomon Islands crested cuckoo-dove Taxonomy articles created by Polbot