White-naped pheasant pigeon

Otidiphaps aruensis

This bird gets its name from the fact that, although it's a pigeon, its terrestrial habits and developed tail clearly resemble those of a pheasant. The bird nervously moves its laterally flattened tail up and down as it walks along the ground. The white-naped subspecies only lives on the small Aru Islands, close to New Guinea.

Breeding program

ESB_Zoo_Captura

Natural habit

New Guinea

White-naped pheasant pigeon
  • 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

450-500
Birth Weight:
40 - 50
More than 10 years

Biology

Habitat
Jungle
Social life
Gregarious
Feeding
Herbivorous

Reproduction

Gestation
23-26
Days
Baby
1

Discover how they are

Biology

Description

The pheasant-pigeon has been christened with this name because, despite being an authentic pigeon, its terrestrial habits and well-developed tail clearly bring to mind pheasants. They move their laterally-compressed tails nervously up and down when on the ground. The white-naped pheasant-pigeon, different from the other subspecies due to the white spot on the back of its neck, only inhabits the small Aru Islands, close to New Guinea.

 

The other existing subspecies, inhabits of New Guinea and other surrounding small islands, have different coloured spots on their napes, either green (Otidiphaps nobilis nobilis), black (Otidiphaps nobilis insularis) or grey (Otidiphaps nobilis cervicalis).

Habitat

They travel alone or in pairs on the ground of the lowland rainforests that are their preferred habitat, although they are also found in medium-height monsoon forests.
 

Feeding

They feed on grains, seeds, tender shoots and fruits that fall off the trees.

Reproduction

The nest is a simple platform made with twigs that they normally build at the bottom of trees and shrubs or among their thick roots.

Conduct

Solitary, they are generally spotted either alone or in a pair. It is considered resident and sedentary throughout its area of distribution.

Status and conservation programs

Their populations seem to be quite stable on the Aru Islands, except in the areas devastated by jungle deforestation. Nonetheless, and due to the extremely limited area it occupies and the growing destruction of its habitat, this species is deemed vulnerable.

 

The Barcelona Zoo participates in the European Studbook (ESB) for this species in captivity and keeps one of the most important breeding colonies in all Europe for this threatened pigeon.