Negros Fruit Dove

Negros Fruit Dove ( Ptilinopus arcanus )

The Negros Fruit Dove ( Ptilinopus arcanus ) is an extremely rare or already extinct pigeon of the genus Flaumfußtauben ( Ptilinopus ). It is only known from one female that was collected in 1953 on the Philippine island of Negros.

Features

The holotype has a length of 16.5 centimeters. The plumage is mostly bright dark green. To the Iris runs a large, wide yellow eye ring. The face is ashen, throat grayish white. On the shield springs and large elytra flashy yellow fringes are visible, forming a rather narrow band at the folded wings. The rump and under tail-coverts are yellow.

Occurrence and habitat

In May 1953 couples was discovered in a tall, fruit-bearing tree in a primary forest at an altitude of about 1,100 m at Mount Kanlaon in Negros Island. The female was shot, the male disappeared without a trace.

Status

Until now, each field work for the rediscovery of the Negros Fruit Dove has failed. The main causes of its decline are habitat destruction and overhunting. The pigeon hunting is widespread and the wooded area on Negros has shrunk to 4 percent. BirdLife International classifies this type in the category " Endangered" ( critically endangered ) a. Through an unconfirmed sighting in 2002 from the Mount Kanlaon Natural Park, the hopes have risen that this type might still exist.

System

Both Ernst Mayr and Thomas Brooks doubt the validity of the Negros fruit dove. In your opinion, it might be in this taxon either a hybrid or a dwarfish copy of the Yellow-breasted Fruit Dove ( Ptilinopus occipital ). Since the males of the Negros Fruit Dove has never been found, no statement can yet be made about the validity or invalidity of the species.