Henderson fruit dove facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henderson fruit dove
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Columbiformes
Family:	Columbidae
Genus:	Ptilinopus
Species:	P. insularis
Binomial name
Ptilinopus insularis North, 1908
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The Henderson fruit dove (also known as the scarlet-capped fruit dove) is a special type of bird. It belongs to the Columbidae family, which includes pigeons and doves. This beautiful bird lives only on one small island in the Pacific Ocean.

What Does the Henderson Fruit Dove Look Like?

The Henderson fruit dove is about 20 to 25 centimeters long. That's about the size of a small ruler!

Colors of the Male Dove

Male doves have a bright crimson-purple color on their forehead and the top of their head (crown). A thin yellow line surrounds this colorful cap. Their throat and the back of their head are white. The neck and chest are a light gray. This gray color leads down to a bright yellow stomach. Their back and wings are a darker green. The edges of their wings have yellow tips. The end of their tail is a mix of gray and yellow. Their feet are a bright pink color.

Colors of the Female Dove

Female doves look mostly the same as males. However, their crown (the top of their head) is a darker green. Also, their wings and chest have yellow edges.

Where Does the Henderson Fruit Dove Live?

The Henderson fruit dove is endemic to Henderson Island. This means it lives only on this island. Henderson Island is a remote island in the South Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Pitcairn Island group.

The bird's natural habitat is a tropical moist lowland scrub forest. This is a type of forest with many small trees and bushes. The Henderson fruit dove used to share its home with three other types of pigeons. Sadly, those other pigeons are now extinct.

How Many Henderson Fruit Doves Are There?

The number of Henderson fruit doves is currently stable. This means their population is not going up or down much. There are about 3,000 to 4,000 adult birds on Henderson Island. This is a small increase from the 3,600 birds counted in 1992.

These doves usually live for about 3.9 years. Since they do not leave their home island, the amount of food available limits how many doves can live there.

What Do Henderson Fruit Doves Eat?

The Henderson fruit dove is mainly frugivorous. This means its diet mostly consists of fruit. They especially love the fruit pulp and whole fruits from plants like Nesoluma and Ixora.

Favorite Fruits

The fruits of Procris pedunculata are very important for their diet. This plant grows in many places, from the West Indian Ocean to the Pacific. However, the doves will eat any available fruit they can find.

Other Food Sources

When fruits are hard to find, they also eat young shoots of a fern called Phymatosorus scolopendria. These doves seem to prefer fruits that have a lot of water. This suggests they get most of their water from their food. This is especially important during dry times. Henderson Island does not have any permanent freshwater ponds or marshy areas. This means they do not have a constant supply of drinking water.

Behavior and Reproduction

Since the Henderson fruit dove lives only on Henderson Island, it does not travel far. These birds are territorial. This means they protect their own space.

Bird Calls

They respond to the sound of other doves' bird calls. Their call sounds like a long series of "woot" notes. These notes are spaced out and slowly get lower in pitch. Another type of call has 10 to 15 notes. These notes stay at an even pitch but get faster. This call lasts about 6 to 7 seconds. When they hear these calls, they only fly about 100 to 200 meters through the forest.

Breeding

Because this bird species lives only on one island, it is easy for them to breed. They usually lay eggs and raise their young during the months of March and April.