Banggai fruit dove facts for kids
The Banggai fruit dove (Ptilinopus subgularis), also known as the maroon-chinned fruit dove, is a special type of bird. It belongs to the Columbidae family, which includes doves and pigeons. This bird lives only in the Banggai Islands in Indonesia. It prefers to live in warm, wet lowland forests. Sadly, its home is shrinking, which puts this beautiful bird at risk.
Quick facts for kids Banggai fruit dove |
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Ptilinopus
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subgularis
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Contents
Meet the Banggai Fruit Dove
The Banggai fruit dove is a large bird. It has a mix of gray and green colors. Its upper feathers are a deep forest green. The feathers on its belly fade to a light gray. This dove has a unique deep red patch on its side. It also has a small maroon chin and a maroon base to its yellow beak. The chest feathers are a light buff color. Its legs and feet can be red or purplish-red. Male and female doves look very similar. However, females often have more green feathers on their necks.
Why This Dove Needs Our Help
The Banggai fruit dove is in danger. It is on the endangered species list. This means there are not many of these birds left. The biggest threat to them is habitat loss. Their forest homes are disappearing. In 2014, experts believed there were only about 2,500 to 9,999 of these birds left. Because they are so rare, scientists are working hard to learn more about them. This research helps us understand how to protect them better.
Where Do Banggai Fruit Doves Live?
These doves live only in the Banggai Islands. These islands are part of Indonesia. They thrive in the subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. However, these important forest homes are being damaged. This damage is mainly due to climate change. Things like earthquakes, droughts, volcanic eruptions, and mudslides are making it harder for the doves to find safe places to live.
Life in the Forest
The Banggai fruit dove's life is closely tied to its forest home.
What Does the Banggai Fruit Dove Sound Like?
The song of the Banggai fruit dove is easy to recognize. It is a long series of "whoop" notes. There are usually about 20 notes in one call. The whole song can last for almost three seconds. Each note is very short, lasting less than a tenth of a second.
What Do They Eat?
As their name suggests, these doves love fruit! They pick fruits right off tree branches. They use their strong beaks to crack open fruits with hard shells. This helps them get the nutrition they need.
Where Do They Build Their Nests?
Banggai fruit doves are arboreal. This means they live almost entirely in trees. Because they are so rare, we don't know much about their nests. However, one basic nest was seen in early May. It was a simple platform made of small branches. This nest was found in a montane forest. Montane forests are found on the sides of mountains. The climate in these forests changes with how high up you go.
