Grey-green fruit dove facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Grey-green fruit dove
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Columbiformes
Family:	Columbidae
Genus:	Ptilinopus
Species:	P. purpuratus
Binomial name
Ptilinopus purpuratus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist.

Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".

The grey-green fruit dove (Ptilinopus purpuratus) is a beautiful bird that belongs to the Columbidae family, which includes doves and pigeons. This special bird lives only in the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It loves to live in warm, wet forests found in lowland areas.

About the Grey-Green Fruit Dove

The grey-green fruit dove was first officially described in 1789. A German scientist named Johann Friedrich Gmelin gave it its scientific name. He put it in the Columba group, which was for all doves and pigeons at the time.

Later, in 1825, an English scientist named William Swainson created a new group called Ptilinopus. This group now includes almost 60 different kinds of fruit doves. The name Ptilinopus comes from ancient Greek words meaning "feather" and "foot." The word purpuratus is Latin and means "clad in purple," which refers to the bird's purple crown.

Different Types of Grey-Green Fruit Doves

There are two main types, or subspecies, of the grey-green fruit dove:

• P. p. frater – This type lives on Moorea, an island about 17 kilometers northwest of Tahiti.
• P. p. purpuratus – This is the original type, found on Tahiti in the eastern Society Islands.

Another bird, the Raiatea fruit-dove, used to be considered the same species. However, in 2021, scientists decided it was different enough to be its own species.

Where These Doves Live

The grey-green fruit dove is found only on two islands in French Polynesia: Tahiti and Mo'orea. Scientists believe there are between 2,500 and 10,000 adult birds in total. A large number, about 5,000 to 6,000, live on Mo'orea. On Mo'orea, you might find about 2 to 3 doves in an area the size of a hectare (which is about the size of a sports field).

What the Grey-Green Fruit Dove Looks Like

This dove is quite small and plump. It is about 20 centimeters (8 inches) long and weighs around 95 grams (3.4 ounces). It has a short tail.

Its upper body is olive green. The top of its head and forehead are a light purple color. Its neck and chest are gray, and its belly is a pale yellow. There's also a light gray band around its tail. The bird's beak is yellowish or greenish-yellow, and it has an orange cere (a waxy part at the base of the beak).

Male and female doves look quite similar. However, the female might have a slightly greenish tint to the gray on her head and neck. Young doves don't have the light purple crown and look a bit duller in color.

Life and Habits of the Grey-Green Fruit Dove

Food and Feeding Habits

These doves spend almost all their time eating in trees. This is different from their close relative, the atoll fruit dove, which often feeds on the ground. The grey-green fruit dove eats various plants, including chili peppers (Capsicum), guava (Psidium), and figs (Ficus).

Reproduction and Nests

When it's time to build a nest, the grey-green fruit dove creates a simple platform out of sticks in a tree. The female usually lays just one white egg.

Challenges for the Grey-Green Fruit Dove

Back in 1907, people said there were many grey-green fruit doves on the islands. But their numbers have gone down since then. The population is slowly shrinking because of several problems:

• Habitat loss: Their natural homes are being destroyed.
• New plants: Non-native plants are being introduced, which can change their environment.
• Predators: Invasive animals like the swamp harrier (a type of hawk) and feral cats hunt these doves.
• Competition: Other invasive birds, like the red-vented bulbul and common myna, compete with them for food and space.