Fun Imperial Pigeon Facts For Kids
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Do you like pigeons and doves? If so, you'll like this informative guide on imperial pigeons.
There are over 40 species of imperial pigeons. Some of them are the green imperial pigeon, the pied imperial pigeon, the chestnut-bellied imperial pigeon, the Polynesian imperial pigeon, the Christmas Island imperial pigeon, and more. Most of them differ in terms of their appearances and geographical range.
Many of them can be seen donning a large plump body with combinations of various beautiful colors. Whereas, some have one single-colored body with different colored tails or wings. The imperial pigeon range is in and around the Pacific, South Asia, Australia, and surrounding islands.
A female imperial pigeon bird lays a single white egg. These shy and reserved birds are only known to eat large fruits.
Read on to know more about the imperial pigeons, and if you like this article, then also check out crowned pigeon facts and passenger pigeon facts.
Imperial Pigeon Interesting Facts
What type of animal is an imperial pigeon?
Imperial pigeons are a group of pigeon birds.
What class of animal does an imperial pigeon belong to?
The imperial pigeon belongs to the class Aves.
How many imperial pigeons are there in the world?
There are more than 40 species under the imperial pigeon genus, Ducula. Populations of many among them are thriving, while many are threatened. The geographical range of these birds is spread worldwide. Thus, it's quite difficult to keep track of their population.
Where does an imperial pigeon live?
Imperial pigeons are found in the geographical range of the Pacific, Australia, and South Asia. They are also seen in surrounding large islands and small islands from these places, like Papua New Guinea. Many species can be seen living together in one habitat, while some places are only populated by one species.
What is an imperial pigeon's habitat?
The primary habitat of these pigeons is forests and woodlands. They live in all kinds of forests, like primary forests, secondary forests, and rainforests. Many species, like the green imperial pigeon (Ducula aenea), pied imperial pigeons, or the Chestnut-bellied imperial pigeons can be found in coastal forests, mangroves, or coconut plantations.
Who do imperial pigeons live with?
Many imperial pigeon species are known to be solitary, while some live in pairs, and many others live in groups or flocks. Sometimes, the territories of many bird species overlap and they have been seen to live together.
How long does an imperial pigeon live?
The exact lifespan of all species of imperial pigeons is not known. Pied imperial pigeons live for a maximum of 20 years in captivity, and they live for much less time in the wild.
How do they reproduce?
The breeding season occurs all throughout the year depending on the different bird species. Some of them are known to show various forms of courtship behavior. Many imperial pigeons breed in colonies, and many pairs breed in their territories.
After copulation, females lay a single white egg, and very rarely, two eggs. The incubation period is relatively short. Usually, both males and females incubate the eggs and look after the hatchlings.
What is their conservation status?
All different species have different conservation statuses according to International Union for Conservation of Nature. The pied imperial pigeon (Ducula bicolor), green imperial pigeon (Ducula aenea), Torresian imperial pigeon, and some more are listed as of Least Concern.
The Polynesian imperial pigeon, Mindoro imperial pigeon, and Nukihiva imperial pigeon are listed as Endangered.
The chestnut-bellied imperial pigeon, Vanuatu imperial pigeon, spotted imperial pigeon, and some more are listed as Vulnerable. The Christmas Island imperial pigeon, Timor imperial pigeon, Enggano imperial pigeon, Finsch's imperial pigeon, and a few others are listed as Near Threatened.
Imperial Pigeon Fun Facts
What do imperial pigeons look like?
The imperial pigeon is a medium-sized bird. However, all species differ from one another in terms of plumage color. Pied imperial pigeons have an overall white body with a yellow tinge and tail, primary coverts, and outer secondaries are black or silver-gray.
On the contrary, the green imperial pigeon (Ducula aenea) has pale vinous-gray plumage, other than metallic green tail, wings, and upper parts. Among the rest, some species have unique plumage colors. Some also have large plump bodies, longer tails, bills, and a larger cere area.
How cute are they?
These birds are gorgeous to look at. Most species have extraordinarily beautiful plumage that would charm anyone. Many of them are also shy in nature.
How do they communicate?
These birds communicate vocally. Apart from the common 'coo' pigeon calls, imperial pigeons can also make unusual calls like a hooting 'wohooo-whooop' sound or deep barking noises.
How big is an imperial pigeon?
Imperial pigeons are 13.8-17.7 in (35-45 cm) on average. They are the same size as Nicobar pigeons, who are about 16 in (40 cm) in size.
How fast can an imperial pigeon fly?
The exact speed at which these birds fly is not known. However, imperial pigeons are known to be good fliers who can even cross oceans and colonize islands and archipelagos.
How much does an imperial pigeon weigh?
These birds weigh around 17.6 oz (500 g) on average. They are much heavier than Eurasian collared doves, who weigh only about 4.4-8.5 oz (125-240 g).
What are the male and female names of the species?
The males are called cocks and the females are called hens.
What would you call a baby imperial pigeon?
Baby imperial pigeons are known as hatchlings or chicks.
What do they eat?
These birds are strictly frugivorous. They have only been known to feed on large fruits. They can either forage in flocks or alone.
Are they dangerous?
These are rather shy birds and live in remote forests. They are not known to possess any danger to humans or animals.
Would they make a good pet?
They can be kept as pets. However, even though many imperial pigeons are of Least Concern, populations of many among them are also threatened. So, it's best not to remove them away from their natural habitat.
Did you know...
Some imperial pigeon species have many subspecies. Such as, the green imperial pigeon (Ducula aenea) has about 12 subspecies under it. Some of them are Ducula aenea sylvatica, Ducula aenea pusilla, Ducula aenea paulina, and Ducula aenea andamanica. These subspecies are differentiated according to their geographical range and slight differences in their appearances.
Different types of pigeon
About 175 species of pigeons can be seen under the family of true pigeons, Columbinae. The geographical range of all these species is throughout the world. They all have unique features to their appearances and characteristics that set them apart. Some of these pigeons are - German nun pigeon, ice pigeon, and Egyptian swift pigeon.
Naming imperial pigeons
It's not known why these birds are called imperial pigeons. However, the genus name, Ducula means 'leader' in Latin.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our tippler pigeon facts and African green pigeon facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable pied imperial pigeon coloring pages.
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