Ducula harrisoni (Henderson Island Imperial Pigeon)

[adzebill]

HENDERSON DUCULA PIGEON (Ducula new species), new listing
Steadman & Olson (1985:6193-6194) reported two species of Ducula
pigeon from archaeological excavations on Henderson Island (Sinoto 1983).
The nine wing bones were considered inseparable from the Polynesian Pigeon (Ducula aurorae) or the Pacific Pigeon (D. paci'ca). The remaining bill and two leg bones were referred to the Nukuhiva Pigeon (D. galeata) or a very closely related representative. Bourne & David (1986:302) considered that the report of two Ducula pigeons from Henderson (Steadman & Olson 1985:6193-6194) may have been a single species, which showed the reduced wings common in island forms.
The Ducula bone from our excavations suggests a single new species of DucuIa pigeon characterized by its heavily constructed bill and legs relative to its small wings and body. This proportional size difference in body parts separates the Henderson Ducula Pigeon from other Pacific Ducula pigeons.

Source: EXTINCTIONS AND NEW RECORDS OF BIRDS FROM HENDERSON ISLAND, PITCAIRN GROUP, SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN*
GRAHAM M. wRAGG and MARSHALL I. WEISLER
Notornis, 41-1

www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_41-1994/Notornis_41_1_61.pdf

[adzebill]

Described as Ducula Harrisoni

A new species of extinct imperial pigeon (Ducula: Columbidae) from Henderson Island, Pitcairn Group
Graham M. Wragg A and T.H. Worthy A
Abstract:
A new species of extinct Ducula pigeon is described from abundant fossil material excavated from late Quaternary deposits on Henderson Island, Pitcairn Group, South Pacific Ocean. Tarsometatarsi that are longer than any extant Ducula and relatively reduced wing elements separate this species from all other extinct and extant Ducula. The description of this species adds another large endemic columbid to the suite that has become extinct since the arrival of man on one of the more isolated islands and island groups in the Pacific.

Historical Biology: A Journal of Paleobiology. Volume 18, Number 2 / 2006.

taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/index/P562V2J573U61468.pdf

A big-sized pigeon; its tarsometatarsus was longer than that of the largest extant Ducula species (D. goliath and D. galeata) and similar in size to the extinct D. david and D. lakeba, but differs from all Ducula species by having relatively reduced wing elements.

[dysmorodrepanis]

Cool!

So if I interpret this correctly, the larger "Ducula cf. galeata" and the smaller "Ducula cf. pacifica" reported from Henderson are really this single species, with long legs and short wings?

[adzebill]

Yes, it seems that it was a single species; and I think that those long legs and short wings may be suggestive of a more terrestrial habits than any other Ducula species.

[surroundx]

Wragg, Graham M. (1995). The fossil birds of Henderson Island, Pitcairn Group: natural turnover and human impact, a synopsis. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 56: 405-414.

[surroundx]

Tennyson, Alan J. D. and Bartle, J. A. (2008). Catalogue of type specimens of birds in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Tuhinga 19: 185-207.