Pied Imperial Pigeon

Pied Imperial Pigeon  Ducula  bicolor

Etymology:

• Ducula : Latin word for “Imperial , Duke”
• Bicolor : Latin word bi– two; color-colour {Two Colours}

Vernacular Names: Nicobar: Kaluia

Distribution in India : Nicobar Islands in India

Description: Size of 35–42 cm; wt. of 365–510 g. It is pure white, more or less tinged with yellow, except for black primaries, primary coverts, outer secondaries and tail. It is  black sometimes has silvery grey luster; bill is grey or bluish with darker tip; legs and feet are greyish blue. Both the sexes are alike. The juvenile has white areas suffused grey and broad yellow-buff fringes to most feathers.

Habitat: It is found in coastal forests, mangroves and coconut plantations. Typically nests and roosts on small offshore islands, but often visits coastal regions of the mainland and large islands to feed. It is found from lowlands to 1100 m.

Food habits: It is frugivorous; feeds on a variety of fruits and berries, including wild figs and the large fruits of wild nutmegs . The feeding is almost entirely or entirely arboreal.

Breeding Habits: They breed in Dec–Mar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. They nest mainly in mangroves. The nest is a flimsy platform. They lay a clutch of 1-2 eggs.