Rapa fruit dove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rapa fruit dove |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Ptilinopus
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| Species: |
huttoni
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The Rapa fruit dove (Ptilinopus huttoni) is a beautiful bird that belongs to the Columbidae family, which includes all pigeons and doves. This special bird lives only on the small island of Rapa Iti in French Polynesia. It's called "endemic" because it's found nowhere else in the world!
Sadly, the Rapa fruit dove is in big trouble. In 2018, it was listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. This means there are very few of these birds left, and their numbers are still going down. The main reasons for this are that their forest homes are disappearing and harmful invasive species are causing problems.
These doves mostly eat juicy fruits. They live in warm, wet forests on Rapa Iti. Protecting their home and understanding more about them can help save this unique bird.
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What the Rapa Fruit Dove Looks Like
The Rapa fruit dove is a medium-sized bird, about 31 centimeters tall. That's roughly the length of a school ruler! It's a very colorful bird. Most of its body, especially its wings, is bright green.
Its head, neck, chest, and upper back are a pretty blue-gray color. It has a yellow lower belly with a rose-purple band just below its chest. One of the most striking things about this dove is its bright pink crown, which is a patch of pink feathers on its head between its eyes.
Where the Rapa Fruit Dove Lives
This special dove lives only on the small island of Rapa Iti. This island is part of the Austral Islands in French Polynesia. The area where they live is quite small, only about 30 square kilometers.
In 2017, scientists estimated there were only about 160 Rapa fruit doves left. All of them live in one group. Back in 1989-1990, there were about 274 doves. This means their population has dropped by 42% in less than 30 years.
How the Rapa Fruit Dove Lives
The Rapa fruit dove lives in the parts of the forest on Rapa Iti that are still natural and untouched. They prefer to live at elevations between 40 and 450 meters above sea level. Rapa Iti has a tropical climate, which means it's warm and humid. The doves like the moist lowland forests. Sometimes, they can also be found in areas with Caribbean pine trees.
As their name suggests, Rapa fruit doves mainly eat fleshy fruits from different trees on the island. They also drink nectar from some flowers. Rapa Iti has many native berry trees that provide plenty of food for the doves. Even an invasive plant called strawberry guava might be a food source for them.
When they eat, they stay perched in the tree and reach for the fruit. Since they are a bit heavier than some other fruit doves, they don't go to the very ends of branches. Instead, they twist and turn their bodies to reach the tasty fruits.
Dangers to the Rapa Fruit Dove's Home
The biggest reason the Rapa fruit dove population is shrinking is because they are losing their homes. Very little of Rapa Iti's original native forests are left. People have cut down trees for wood, fires have damaged forests, and more land is needed for cows and goats to graze.
The quality of the remaining forest has also gotten worse because of an invasive plant called strawberry guava. This plant, brought from South America, can grow very thick and take over the forest. It chokes out the native plants that the fruit dove needs for food and shelter. Other invasive animals, like feral cats, also hunt the doves, which adds to their problems.
How People Are Helping
In the past, people on Rapa Iti used to hunt the Rapa fruit dove for food. However, this practice has stopped as life on the island has improved. Today, these doves are not used for human benefit.
While there aren't specific plans to directly increase the number of doves, people on the island now understand how important it is to protect and restore their forest homes. In 2017, a project started to help restore the forests. This project aims to control the spread of the strawberry guava and manage the populations of grazing animals like goats and cattle.
What Else Can Be Done to Help
More efforts are needed to protect the Rapa fruit dove and all the other amazing plants and animals on Rapa Iti. Human activities are the main reason birds are disappearing on Polynesian islands, especially Rapa Iti.
More land needs to be protected and managed carefully. This means reducing the number of grazing animals and preventing fires in the higher parts of the island. It's also important to control the populations of invasive animals.
To help the doves directly, some experts suggest moving some doves to another island to start a new group, but only after all harmful animals are removed from that island. Another idea is to start a group of doves in zoos or special centers as a backup. It's also very important to teach the local community about why protecting these birds and their land is so important.
Scientists also need to learn more about the exact dangers to the Rapa fruit dove. For example, they need to find out how much feral cats are actually affecting the dove population. They also need to understand if the Rapa fruit dove uses the strawberry guava plant for food. Learning more about these things will help guide the best ways to protect these special birds on Rapa Iti.
