- Gymnophaps solomonensis
Identification
38 cm.
- Whitish grey head and neck, lighter on throat and upper breast
- Buffy pink lower breast and belly
- Pale grey vent and undertail-coverts
- Silver-grey mantle, back and wing-coverts, tinged green and edged with black
- Black primaries and secondaries, with a green silvery tinge on closed wing
- Red or purplish orbital skin around orange to reddish eye
Sexes similar, juveniles with a blue-grey eye.
Distribution
Solomon Islands, from Bougainville to Guadalcanal and Malaita.
Status uncertain but obviously moderately common on Kolombangara.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Forms a superspecies with Buru Mountain Pigeon and Papuan Mountain Pigeon.
Habitat
Moist montanes.
Occurs mainly at 750 to 1950 m.
Behaviour
Recorded in flocks of up to 25 birds, sometimes even bigger flocks. Usually seen in tree crowns.
Diet
Not well known. Seen eating small-seeded fruit.
Breeding
Birds collected from Jule to September were in breeding condition. No other information.
Movements
No information.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Pale Mountain Pigeon. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 14 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pale_Mountain_Pigeon
