About the Raiatea Fruit Dove
The Raiatea fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Society Islands in French Polynesia. Although first named to science in 1853, this fruit dove was evidently discovered 30 years earlier, by René Primevère Lesson (1794–1849), while serving as naturalist aboard La Coquille. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the grey-green fruit dove but was split as a distinct species by the IOC in 2021. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in May · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Whistling DovePtilinopus layardiThe whistling dove is a small dove (20 cm (7.9 in)) that is sexually dimorphic in its velvety plumage.
Carunculated Fruit DovePtilinopus granulifronsThe carunculated fruit dove is a species of bird in the pigeon and dove family Columbidae.
Lilac-crowned Fruit DovePtilinopus rarotongensisThe lilac-crowned fruit dove, also known as the Rarotonga fruit-dove or Cook Islands fruit-dove, is one of over 50 species of Ptilinopus.
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