How do you identify a Makatea Fruit Dove?

The average length of the Makatea fruit dove is 20 cm tall (8 inches). Full identification notes are on this page.

How big is a Makatea Fruit Dove?

The Makatea Fruit Dove is a medium sized bird weighing about 119 g.

Where can you see a Makatea Fruit Dove?

The Makatea Fruit Dove is endemic to French Polynesia, which is the only country where it occurs.

What birds look similar to a Makatea Fruit Dove?

The Makatea Fruit Dove is most easily confused with the Henderson Fruit Dove, the Atoll Fruit Dove and the White-headed Fruit Dove.

Is the Makatea Fruit Dove endangered?

The Makatea Fruit Dove is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Makatea Fruit Dove

Ptilinopus chalcurus

Doves and Pigeons · Columbiformes · Legendary

The Makatea Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus chalcurus) is a legendary doves and pigeon found only in French Polynesia, weighing about 119 g. The Makatea fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae.

VulnerableLegendaryEndemicEats fruitforestplatform nest119 g

About the Makatea Fruit Dove

The Makatea fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to French Polynesia island of Makatea in the Tuamotu Archipelago. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and is also present near villages. This bird is approximately 20 cm (7.9 in) tall and has plumage of mostly green feathers with a dark purple crown and forehead, pale greenish-grey throat and chest, cloven lower chest feathers producing rows of shadows that appear as streaks, yellow underparts, tinged orange anteriorly. The bird's wing feathers are edged yellow. While it continues to be threatened by habitat loss, a decrease in mining since the mid 1960s has helped…

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The average length of the Makatea fruit dove is 20 cm tall (8 inches). It has primarily green feathers on its plumage, with a deep purple head and forehead, a pale greenish-gray neck and chest, cloven bottom chest feathers that create streaks of shadow, yellow belly, and an orange tint on the front. The feathers on the bird's wings have a golden edge.

Where it lives

French Polynesia

When to see it

Best months: March, April, May, June, July, October, with peak activity in July. It is a winter visitor species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Makatea Fruit Dove?: The average length of the Makatea fruit dove is 20 cm tall (8 inches). Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Makatea Fruit Dove?: The Makatea Fruit Dove is a medium sized bird weighing about 119 g.
Where can you see a Makatea Fruit Dove?: The Makatea Fruit Dove is endemic to French Polynesia, which is the only country where it occurs.
What birds look similar to a Makatea Fruit Dove?: The Makatea Fruit Dove is most easily confused with the Henderson Fruit Dove, the Atoll Fruit Dove and the White-headed Fruit Dove.
Is the Makatea Fruit Dove endangered?: The Makatea Fruit Dove is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Makatea Fruit Dove for real

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