Fun Mindoro Imperial Pigeon Facts For Kids
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The Mindoro imperial pigeon, Ducula mindorensis, is a species of colorful pigeons with beautiful plumage. These species are one of the largest species of the Philippines and their family genus is Ducula.
The citation regarding this imperial pigeon, Ducula mindorensis, was seen in early 1896.
Even during those times, these species were very difficult to obtain and were a very rare sight. According to the bird watchers of those times, they described that this bird species is uniquely beautiful surviving almost 5000-6000 ft (1524-1828 m) elevation during the wet season.
The Mindoro imperial pigeon, Ducula mindorensis, is a very social bird and very friendly with neighboring species. This Mindoro zone-tailed pigeon can be seen in groups or either in groups of four to five individuals.
These species even tend to roost together with some other neighboring species such as Ducula poliocephala. To learn more about such amazing and colorful birds, make sure to check out our Nicobar pigeon and German nun pigeon facts pages.
Mindoro Imperial Pigeon Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a Mindoro imperial pigeon?
An imperial pigeon, Ducula mindorensis, is a type of bird that is rare. It belongs to the Columbidae family and is labeled endangered by BirdLife International.
What class of animal does a Mindoro imperial pigeon belong to?
This population of Carpophaga mindorensis belongs to the Aves class, while their family genus is Ducula.
How many Mindoro imperial pigeons are there in the world?
The Mindoro zone-tailed pigeon is an absolute beauty to the eyes and this has remained of the reason as for their regular hunting. Although, habitat loss due to contact forest destruction too had a significant role in making these species endangered.
The species factsheet for this Mindoro zone-tailed pigeon points strictly towards them being on the red list. Although these whitehead birds are now granted enough attention from the wildlife and forests conservation committee, their population is very low. The exact calculated value of the same is not present.
Where does a Mindoro imperial pigeon live?
The Mindoro imperial pigeon, Ducula mindorensis, is found in the Philippines and across the Mindoro region. These bird species are known to represent around seven locations across Mindoro and their neighboring central mountains.
It also assumed that a part of their population is also present in highlands. Its easier to look for this endangered species at Mount Llong and Mount Halcon.
What is a Mindoro imperial pigeon's habitat?
There is very little recorded information surrounding this imperial pigeon, Ducula mindorensis, but it's assumed that this bird species loves canopy forests. Their range is mostly spread across mountain forests and at a higher elevation of almost 5000-6000 ft (1524-1828 m), it's very rare to spot these whitehead birds.
Who do Mindoro imperial pigeons live with?
As these regions are very rare and under the status of endangered, it's very difficult for researchers to gain enough information about these birds. However, some bird watchers believe that these birds live with some of the native Filipino birds which find their habitat in the mountain ranges.
Birds such as the sunbird and hornbill and some other birds of the world such as the Philippine serpent eagle are also said to be the neighbors of this bird.
How long does a Mindoro imperial pigeon live?
The different population of pigeons has relatively different lifespans, although when it comes to the Mindoro imperial, Ducula mindorensis, their life expectancy cannot be told with certainty as this Mindoro zone tailed pigeon was never evaluated closely. However, this endangered species is said to live for five to six years in the forest or their natural range of habitat.
How do they reproduce?
There are different citations when it comes to the breeding behavior of this species. The adult male is believed to breed in April or sometimes in august. Pigeons mainly reproduce monogamously and they typically mate for life with one partner. The nest is built with sticks and straw. An average imperial pigeon, Ducula mindorensis, female lays only one egg.
What is their conservation status?
This species of pigeons has been facing various threats for the last 50 plus years. Destruction of forests and hunting these species for either food or another range of reasons remained the key reason for their population decline.
Although, other reasons such as logging and shiting cultivation also remained a key reason. Thus, due to such a recorded range of factors, the conservation status of this species is endangered and they are also present in the red list.
Mindoro Imperial Pigeon Fun Facts
What do the Mindoro imperial pigeons look like?
The imperial pigeon, Ducula mindorensis, is one of the most beautiful species of pigeons you can come across. It has a whitehead and its throat is pinkish gray.
Its wings have a wingspan of 9.44 in (24 cm) and its tail is recorded to have a length of 5.9 in (15 cm). The underparts of this species are bluish-gray, with the belly being dark blue.
The rest of their body is red in color and their tale is shimmery green-black. The black bill and pinkish-red legs are quite significant too.
*Please note the main image and this image are of a Mountain Imperial Pigeon that belongs to the same family as the Mindoro Imperial Pigeon. If you have an image of a Mindoro Imperial Pigeon please let us know at hello@kidadl.com.
How cute are they?
The early birdwatchers who found the imperial pigeon, Ducula mindorensis, spoke greatly about this beautiful pigeon, giving these species the credit for their survival at higher altitudes of mount Halcon.
How do they communicate?
This bird from the Philippines uses their calls and high-pitched sounds for communication.
How big is a Mindoro imperial pigeon?
These pigeons are almost twice bigger in size when compared with black cuckoo and a little smaller in size when compared with a Cooper's hawk.
How fast can a Mindoro imperial pigeon fly?
These species from the Philippines can fly very fast, however, not much is known about these species in this regard.
How much does a Mindoro imperial pigeon weigh?
This bird of the world weighs anywhere in between the range 1.7-1.9 lb ( 0.8-0.9 kg).
What are the male and female names of the species?
No, there are no different designated names for both the sexes, both the sexes were called with the same name.
What would you call a baby Mindoro imperial pigeon?
A baby Mindoro imperial pigeon, Ducula mindorensis, is called a squeaker and squab.
What do they eat?
This bird of the Philippines is said to eat a range of fruits, including berries and even flowers.
Are they dangerous?
No, these birds are not dangerous to humans in any way, they do not cause any threat to the neighboring environment or species.
Would they make a good pet?
It's not ideal to make a Mindoro imperial pigeon, Ducula mindorensis, a pet, as these birds are very rare and on the red list. However, it's also pretty difficult to find them, so it's very rare where these birds are made pets, they mostly they reside in forests and their natural habitat in the Philippines.
Did you know...
These species are closely related to Ducula poliocephala and Ducula forsteni.
Imperial pigeons are endemic, and it's infrequent to come across one from this species. Hunting and other human practices have affected them greatly.
How many eggs do Mindoro imperial pigeons lay?
A Mindoro imperial pigeon, Ducula mindorensis, lays only one egg per breeding season.
How to tell the Mindoro imperial pigeon male and female apart
To differentiate between the male and females of this species, you need to look at the eye color of this species. The males have yellow iris and red eyelids, while females had brownish-yellow iris and yellow to orange eyelids.
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 common nighthawk facts and Northern goshawk facts for kids.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Mindoro imperial pigeon Coloring Pages.
*We've been unable to source an image of a Mindoro imperial pigeon and have used an image of a Polynesian imperial pigeon instead as the main image. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a Mindoro imperial pigeon, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.
Main image by RyanStudiesBirds.
Second image by DickDaniels.
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