Pied imperial pigeon

Ducula bicolor

The Pied Imperial Pigeon is a frugivorous pigeon, characterised by its bicolouration, with the head, body and legs in white and the tips of its wings and tail in black.
It lives in the coastal jungles and mangrove swamps of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Sulawesi, the Philippines and western New Guinea, from sea level right up to the mountain forests at an altitude of over 1,000 metres.

Natural habit

Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea.

Dúcula imperial
  • Distribution / Resident
  • Breeding
  • Wintering
  • Subspecies

Risk level

  • Extint
  • Extint in the wild
  • Critically endangered
  • In Danger
  • Vulnerable
  • Near threatened
  • Minor concern
  • Insufficient data
  • Not evaluated
Least Concern

Taxonomy

Class
Aves
Order
Columbiformes
Family
Columbidae

Physical characteristics

365-510 g
Birth Weight:
35 - 42 cm
Up to 10 years

Biology

Habitat
Jungle
Social life
Gregarious
Feeding
Herbivorous

Reproduction

Gestation
25-30
Days
Baby
1

Discover how they are

Biology

Description

This large pigeon, up to 42 cm long, is characterised by its dual-coloured plumage, to which its taxonomic name makes reference. All the plumage is white except for the tips of the wings and tail, which are black.

Habitat

They inhabit coastal mangroves and jungles of southwest Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, generally in lowlands, although some subspecies can be found in forested regions at over 1000 m altitude.

Feeding

Frugivorous, they eat all types of fruits and berries that they prefer to consume high in the treetops.

Reproduction

They reproduce in small colonies located on small islands with little human interference. They normally lay one egg, although two have occasionally been recorded.

Conduct

They travel quite considerable distances between their breeding and feeding grounds, forming flocks can be made up of numerous specimens.

Status and conservation programs

Still a quite common species in some regions of their extensive area of distribution, they are threatened in many others primarily due to the deforestation and deterioration of their jungle habitat. This species also lives on Komodo Island, sharing its habitat with the largest saurian in the world, the infamous Komodo dragons.