Pheasant pigeon

Otidiphaps nobilis

Photo by Greg Hume (Wikipedia)

Common name:
pheasant pigeon (en); pombo-faisão (pt); otidiphaps noble (fr); paloma faisán (es); fasanentaube (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the island of New Guinea, both in Indonesia and Papua-New Guinea, including several nearby islands.

Size:
These birds are 45-50 cm long and weigh 500 g.

Habitat:
The pheasant pigeon is only found in primary rainforests, from sea level up to an altitude of 1.900 m.

Diet:
They forage on the forest floor, taking seeds and fallen fruits.

Breeding:
Pheasant pigeons breed on the ground, beneath a tree or scrub. The female lays a single egg which is incubated for 28-35 days. The chicks fledge 28-30 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is described as often fairly common in hilly areas, but locally scarce. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.