Sultan's cuckoo-dove

Sultan's cuckoo-dove (Macropygia doreya) is a dove in the genus Macropygia found in the northern Moluccas, Sulawesi to New Guinea and the western Papuan islands. It was one of three new species defined when the slender-billed cuckoo-dove was split up in 2016.

Sultan's cuckoo-dove
M. doreya at Mount Mahawu, North Sulawesi
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Columbiformes
Family:	Columbidae
Genus:	Macropygia
Species:	M. doreya
Binomial name
Macropygia doreya Bonaparte, 1854
Subspecies
See text

Description

They are typically about 35–37 centimetres (14–15 in) long. The males tend to have a slight rose/green colouration on their nape and neck. Many subspecies have whitish underparts, fine dark barring below and/or a whitish cap.

The call of this dove is a very loud "whoop-a whoop" with some differences depending on the subspecies involved.

Sultan's cuckoo-dove inhabits rainforest, woodland, scrubland and rainforest regrowth areas.

The doves can often be seen in pairs or groups. Its diet consists of berries from both native plants and introduced weed species. They can be nomadic, depending on the supplies of food. They tend to fly short distances and low to the ground with great strength.

Breeding occurs in spring and summer. The nest is a flat platform of sticks and vines, either in a fork of a tree or on top of a low tree. One, creamy white, egg is laid.

Subspecies

• M. d. doreya Bonaparte, 1854 - western New Guinea and western Papuan islands
• M. d. balim Rand, 1941 - Balim Valley, north central New Guinea
• M. d. albiceps Bonaparte, 1856 - northern Moluccas
• M. d. atrata Ripley, 1941 - Togian Island
• M. d. sanghirensis Salvadori, 1878 - Sangihe Islands and Talaud Islands
• M. d. albicapilla Bonaparte, 1854 - Sulawesi
• M. d. sedecima Neumann, 1939 - Sula Islands

Further reading

• Ng, E.Y.X.; Eaton, J.A.; Verbelen, P.; Hutchinson, R.O.; Rheindt, F.E. (2016). "Using bioacoustic data to test species limits in an Indo-Pacific island radiation of Macropygia cuckoo doves". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 118 (4): 786–812. doi:10.1111/bij.12768.