Adult Rupe – Gerald McCormack -2010
The Pacific Pigeon (Rupe, Ducula pacifica) is the largest forest bird of the Cook Islands. It is dark green on the upper wings and back, with a pale grey neck, head and underside. The adult has a prominent lump on top of its beak. The sexes are identical in appearance. The pigeon has two distinctive calls and many residents believe the calls are gender specific. This article presents detailed observations by Don Organ that support this idea.
The Pacific Pigeon has a native range from the Lau Group (eastern Fiji) through Samoa and Tonga to the Cook Islands. It feeds on fruits, especially Guettarda (‘Ano, Guettarda speciosa), Pacific Banyan (Ava, Ficus prolixa), Perfume Tree (Mata‘oi, Cananga odorata), Kapok buds (Mama‘u, Ceiba pentandra) and Cecropia (Rau-Māniota, Cecropia pachystachya). It is present on the Southern Group islands of Rarotonga, ‘Ātiu, Ma‘uke, Miti‘āro, and Palmerston. In the Northern Group it is present on Manihiki and Pukapuka. Why this native pigeon is missing from Mangaia, while it survives on other similarly man-modified uplifted islands, is a mystery. Continue reading →
