Birds and Birding's Guide to:

Watching THE PLOVER-LIKE BIRDS

THE GULLS AND THEIR ALLIES

THE TRUE PIGEONS

Wart Pigeons

 Very striking birds are the so-called Wart Pigeons (Alec-trmnas), the four living species being confined to the Madagascarian subregion, but there was also a fifth species in the Mauritius which has become extinct within historic times. They are larger than those last considered, being from nine to nearly twelve inches in length, and have the plumage mostly a deep blue, with the feathers of the neck deeply bifurcated and hackle-like in appearance.

They take their name of Wart Pigeons from the presence of wattles on the sides of the forehead. In the Red-crowned Wart Pigeon (A. pulcherrima) the plumage is black with blue reflections, the feathers of the crown being hairlike and carmine in color, while the sides of the head, neck, and upper breast are gray, and the naked skin around the eyes as well as on the wattles is red. In the Madagascar Wart Pigeon (A. madagascariensis) the general color is indigo-blue, with the throat and neck slaty gray, becoming blue on the forehead, while the tail and its upper coverts is dark crimson glossed with blue or green at the base. These birds are mainly arboreal, feeding on dates, figs, berries, and grain, and are strong of wing.

Distinguished from all the other members of this group by having the under wing-coverts yellow, is a genus (Megaloprepia) of six handsome species ranging from the northern Moluccas through the Papuan Islands to Australia. They are strictly arboreal in their habits, feeding entirely on fruits, berries, and seeds, and frequenting especially the lofty fig-trees and palms. Of the two species inhabiting Australia the Magnificent Fruit Pigeon (M. magnified) is, according to Gould, the most splendid Pigeon known from that country.

It is about sixteen inches long, the head and neck being pale gray, with the remainder of the upper parts as well as the wings a rich golden green; there is an irregular band of light yellow across the wings, and the tail is a deep, bronzy green, while a line down the throat and the whole of the breast and abdomen is a rich deep purple, the under surface of the shoulder, the thighs, and vent deep gamboge-yellow. They are rather shy birds of quiet habits and not easily discovered unless they utter their loud, hoarse call, which is quite unlike that of any other bird. They feed entirely on the wild fig and nutlike fruits of the various large palms.

The sexes are similar in plumage, though the female is somewhat smaller. In northeastern Australia this gives place to the Allied Fruit Pigeon (M. assimilis), a species of similar plumage, but only about fourteen inches in length; while in central New Guinea there is a still smaller form (M. poliura) that is scarcely thirteen inches long. The final member of this group to be mentioned is the New Caledonian Pigeon (Drepanoptila holosericea), which is distinguished by having the primaries curiously divided at the tip and the legs entirely feathered; it is confined to New Caledonia and the Isle of Pines.

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