Ptilinopus chrysogaster
The Raiatea Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus chrysogaster) is a small, spectacularly colored dove, typically measuring around 20-22 cm (8-8.7 inches) in length, belonging to the genus *Ptilinopus*, renowned for its vibrant members. Males are predominantly bright emerald green, contrasted by a silvery-grey head, nape, and upper breast. A truly distinctive field mark, and the origin of its scientific name, is the brilliant golden-yellow patch on its lower belly and undertail coverts, which glows against ...
This species primarily inhabits native moist montane forests and remnant patches of lowland forest, typically found at elevations above 300 meters (1,000 feet) on Raiatea.
The Raiatea Fruit Dove is almost exclusively frugivorous, feeding on a variety of native small to medium-sized fruits and berries, including figs, obtained by gleaning from tree branches.
The Raiatea Fruit Dove is an arboreal species, active during daylight hours, moving quietly and deliberately through the dense canopy where it also roosts. Foraging involves plucking fruits directly from branches, often swallowing them whole, an important ecological role in seed dispersal. Due to...
The Raiatea Fruit Dove is critically endemic to the island of Raiatea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. Historically, its range may have extended to the adjacent island of Taha'a, which shares a common lagoon and landmass, though it is now believed to be extirpated from Taha'a if ever p...
Critically Endangered
- The scientific name 'chrysogaster' literally means 'golden-bellied' in Ancient Greek, referring to its striking yellow lower belly. - It is one of the rarest and most imperiled dove species in the world, classified as Critically Endangered. - This species is an island endemic, found only on Rai...