Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon

Ducula bakeri

Doves and Pigeons · Columbiformes · Legendary

The Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon (Ducula bakeri) is a legendary doves and pigeon found only in Vanuatu, weighing about 394 g. The Vanuatu imperial pigeon or Baker's imperial pigeon is a species of bird in the family Columbidae.

Least ConcernLegendaryEndemicEats fruitforestplatform nest394 g

About the Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon

The Vanuatu imperial pigeon or Baker's imperial pigeon is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to Vanuatu and lives in forests. It is threatened by forest clearing, and although it has a restricted range the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as a least concern species.

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

How to identify it

The Vanuatu imperial pigeon is about 40 cm (16 in) long. The head and nape are sooty blue-grey, and the neck is dark purplish-maroon. The mantle, back and wing coverts are sooty-grey and have a steely sheen. The underwing coverts are chestnut, and the flight feathers are rufous. The throat is dark grey. The breast is dark purplish-maroon with a slight gloss, and the belly is deep chestnut. The uppertail coverts are black, and the undertail coverts are rufous. The eyes are yellow, the beak is black, and the feet are pinkish-red. The female is a little smaller and duller than the male.

Where it lives

When to see it

Best months: January, May, August, September, October, December, with peak activity in August. It is a variable species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon?
The Vanuatu imperial pigeon is about 40 cm (16 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon?
The Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon is a large sized bird weighing about 394 g.
Where can you see a Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon?
The Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon is endemic to Vanuatu, which is the only country where it occurs.
What birds look similar to a Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon?
The Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon is most easily confused with the Black Imperial Pigeon, the Spotted Imperial Pigeon and the Chestnut-bellied Imperial Pigeon.
Is the Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon endangered?
The Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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