Claret-breasted Fruit Dove

Overview

The claret-breasted fruit dove (Ptilinopus viridis) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae, currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The specific name viridis is derived from the Latin word for green, reflecting its primary plumage colour.

Identification

• Length of 20–21 cm (7.9–8.3 in).
• Plumage is mainly green with a well-defined patch of dark red-brown feathers on the throat and upper breast.
• Face and forecrown are bluish grey, accompanied by a bluish grey patch on the shoulder.

Habitat

The species is distributed across the Moluccas, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands archipelago. Its natural habitat consists of subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Did you know?

The bird was first described by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 based on a specimen collected on Ambon Island, who originally named it Turtur viridis amboinensis, a name that did not conform to the binomial system and is not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.