Stephan's Emerald Dove

Overview

Stephan's emerald dove, also known as Stephan's dove, is a forest-dwelling bird species in the pigeon family Columbidae. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its large range and stable population, being fairly common throughout its distribution in Indonesia and Melanesia.

Identification

• Described as having a deep-chested appearance in flight similar to other emerald doves.
• Noted for being inconspicuous but not very shy, typically seen alone or in pairs.

Habitat

The species has a large range stretching from Sulawesi and Taliabu east through most of lowland New Guinea and its satellite islands to the Admiralty Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, and Solomon Islands. It usually inhabits inland rainforests, but can utilise scrubby coconut plantations and coastal forests when competing species are absent, generally occurring below 700 m though recorded at higher elevations.

Diet

Mainly frugivorous, the dove forages on the forest floor for fallen fruits, seeds, and occasionally insects and other invertebrates. It is also known to forage under nesting colonies of metallic starlings, feeding on seeds in their droppings, and has been observed eating soil.

Did you know?

Although typically found in lowlands, a carcass of the dove was found on the Carstenz Massif in New Guinea at an elevation of 4,350 m, which is almost 3,000 m above its normal habitat altitude.