Mackinlay's cuckoo-dove facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mackinlay's cuckoo-dove
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Columbiformes
Family:	Columbidae
Genus:	Macropygia
Species:	M. mackinlayi
Binomial name
Macropygia mackinlayi Ramsay, 1878
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The Mackinlay's cuckoo-dove (Macropygia mackinlayi) is a type of bird. People also call it the spot-breasted cuckoo-dove. This bird belongs to the Columbidae family, which includes pigeons and doves. You can find it in countries like Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Experts say it is a species of least concern, meaning it is not currently in danger.

About the Mackinlay's Cuckoo-Dove

Where Does Its Name Come From?

This special bird is named after a Scottish naturalist named Archibald Mackinlay. A naturalist is someone who studies nature.

What Does It Look Like?

The Mackinlay's cuckoo-dove is a small bird. It can be either greyish-brown or reddish-brown. Having these two different color types is quite rare among pigeons.

It is about 27 to 31 cm (11 to 12 in) long. This is roughly the length of a ruler. It weighs around 87 grams (3.1 oz), which is about as much as a small apple. This bird has a fairly short beak.

Its chest feathers look spotted. This is because the tips of these feathers are split, showing the darker bases underneath. Young birds look a bit different. They have stripes and look similar to the female Mackinlay's cuckoo-dove. They also look like young Ambonya cuckoo-doves.

How Is It Different from Similar Birds?

The Mackinlay's cuckoo-dove looks a lot like the slender-billed cuckoo-dove. However, the slender-billed cuckoo-dove is bigger. It also has a longer beak. Its upper body feathers are darker brown. The feathers on its lower body are lighter. Female slender-billed cuckoo-doves have striped chests. Their chest feathers are not split like the Mackinlay's cuckoo-dove's.

It also looks similar to the bar-tailed cuckoo-dove. The bar-tailed cuckoo-dove is a little bigger. It has richer reddish-brown feathers. But it does not have the paler head and lower body that the Mackinlay's cuckoo-dove has. Female bar-tailed cuckoo-doves have reddish-yellow lower bodies. Their feathers are not split, and their chests do not have black spots.

Status and Conservation

Is the Mackinlay's Cuckoo-Dove in Danger?

Since 1998, the Mackinlay's cuckoo-dove has been listed as a species of least concern. This means it is not currently threatened. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List keeps track of species.

This bird lives across a very large area. Its home range is bigger than 20,000 km² (7,700 mi²). Its population numbers seem to be steady. Even though we do not know the exact number of these birds, experts believe there are more than 10,000 of them. This number is well above the point where a species would be considered vulnerable.

The Mackinlay's cuckoo-dove is common on most islands where it lives. However, it is rarely seen on New Britain and Aneityum. Experts do not think there are any major threats to this bird right now.