- Ptilinopus roseicapilla
Identification
Length: 23-24 cm (9 in)
Adult. Sexually monomorphic. Typical Fruit Dove in structure. Forehead and crown rose red, nape and upper back pearl grey. Rest of upperparts moss green. Sides of head, neck and breast pearl grey, small rose red malar patch. Bifurcate feathers in the centre of the breast with dark bases. Broad purplish orange band between the breast and belly, orange belly, yellow vent and light orange undertail coverts. Wings moss green with thin yellow margins, tail - basal 50% blackish, distal 50% white / pale grey. Bare parts :- Bill yellowish grey, legs bright pink, eye yellow. Juvenile overall green with yellowish fringes to wing coverts.
Distribution
Common on Rota; fairly common on Agiguan, Tinian and Saipan in Northern Marianas Islands; extinct on Guam
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Forest canopy.
Behaviour
Extremely shy.
Diet
They eat fruit including from Triphasia, Guettarda, Scaevola, Ficus, Cestrum
Breeding
They nest throughout the year. Nest is a crude, flat platform of twigs.
Vocalisation
Three to four widely spaced coos followed by stuttering, gibbering cooing gobble and ending with rhythmic coos.
Movements
Presumed resident with local movements in search of fruit.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Baptista, L.F., Trail, P.W., Horblit, H.M., Boesman, P. & Garcia, E.F.J. (2019). Mariana Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus roseicapilla). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/54332 on 26 October 2019).
- BirdLife International 2016. Ptilinopus roseicapilla. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22691435A93312366. Downloaded on 25 October 2019.
- Cibois, A., Thibault, J.C., Bonillo, C., Filardi, C.E., Watling, D. & Pasquet, E. (2014) Phylogeny and biogeography of the fruit doves (Aves: Columbidae). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 70: 442–453.
- Goodwin, D. (1983) Pigeons and Doves of the World. Cornell Univ. Press.
- Pratt, H.D., Bruner, P., and Berrett, D.G. (1987) A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Mariana Fruit Dove. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Mariana_Fruit_Dove
