Pink-necked Green Pigeon

Overview

The Treron vernans is a medium-sized pigeon native to Southeast Asia, characterised by predominantly green plumage and a pinkish neck in males. It is a common and adaptable species found in forested areas and human-modified environments, listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• Males possess a grey head, pinkish neck and upper breast, and an orange lower breast, while the back is olive green.
• Females are smaller with a yellowish belly, throat and face, and a greenish crown, lacking the distinct pink neck.
• A white, pale blue green, or grey bill contrasts with pink or reddish legs.
• In flight, the wings show black primaries and yellow edging on the tertiaries, creating a distinct yellow bar.

Habitat

This species occupies a wide range of habitats, including primary and secondary forests, forest edges, coastal mangroves, gardens, and plantations. It is particularly common in lowland areas and close to the coast, though it can be found at elevations up to 1,200 m in Sulawesi. It has proven highly adaptable to human environments, even thriving in crowded cities provided fruiting trees are present.

Diet

Primarily a frugivore, the pigeon feeds almost exclusively on fruit, with a strong preference for figs (Ficus), though it also consumes fruit from trees such as Glochidion and Vitex. It forages in the mid-canopy, displaying agility when clinging to fine branches to reach fruit. A muscular gizzard containing grit is used to grind and digest seeds, though not all individuals retain grit, allowing some seeds to pass through intact.

Did you know?

After the volcanic eruption that obliterated Krakatoa in 1883, this pigeon was one of the first obligate frugivores to establish itself on the remnant islands and helped disperse fig seeds to the new volcano Anak Krakatau. Its seed retention time of 60–480 minutes far exceeds its estimated 48-minute flight time between these islands, facilitating the spread of vegetation across water.