To start out, some normal info on the distinction between pigeons and doves: there’s none, not less than not in a scientific sense. Each phrases describe the identical household of birds, and there’s no clear rule as to why a particular species inside the household is known as a dove or a pigeon.
That mentioned, there are some “delicate” guidelines and in addition some variations in notion:
- Smaller family members usually tend to be referred to as doves, bigger ones pigeons
- Some individuals consider white birds as doves and gray ones as pigeons – nevertheless, because the images under present, this isn’t very useful
- Doves usually tend to be seen as peace symbols, pigeons usually tend to be seen as flying rats
- The phrase pigeon has its roots within the French language whereas the phrase dove is of Nordic origin
Now that we’re clear on this, let’s have a look at a number of the doves (and pigeons) of Halmahera and Sulawesi, beginning with the Gray-headed Fruit Dove.
In the event you had a time machine and a few spare time after having killed Hitler, you could possibly enter the yr 1863 and check out Vol. 5 of The Ibis of that yr. This challenge contained 4 unfastened inserts promoting specimens on the market by the pure historical past seller Samuel Stevens.
Illustration taken from the article “A value listing of birds collected by Alfred Russel Wallace inserted in The Ibis of 1863” by Kees Rookmaaker & John van Wyhe, Bull. B.O.C. 2018 138(4).
These inserts confirmed a listing of chook specimens collected by Alfred Russel Wallace within the Indonesian Archipelago. The costs charged ranged from 3 to 240 shillings every, or a mean of 11 shillings per specimen (with a reduction of 10% for purchases above 25 GBP).
In the event you had remembered to convey sufficient shillings with you in your time machine, you could possibly now purchase a specimen of the Gray-headed Fruit Dove – as collected by Mr. Wallace – for 10 shillings.
Whereas that sounds low cost, an agricultural or normal manufacturing unit employees sometimes earned about 10 to fifteen shillings per week, so the estimate supplied by ChatGPT “10 shillings from 1863 could be roughly equal to $80 to $90 USD at present” appears a bit on the low facet.
A little bit of background: Wallace travelled via the Malay Archipelago between 1854 and 1862. His primary goal of all journeys was to acquire specimens of pure historical past, each for his personal assortment and for museums and amateurs. He had an association with pure historical past seller Samuel Stevens. Wallace despatched all his supplies to Stevens, who then saved these Wallace needed to maintain and tried to promote the others.
Wallace most likely didn’t hassle to seize any Zebra Doves – they’re simply too widespread. Not definitely worth the effort in case you can solely cost one shilling for it.
Nonetheless, the subsequent 5 dove species proven on this put up had been all on Wallace’s “On the market” listing. I’ve indicated the asking value for every specimen in brackets behind the species identify.
Black-naped Fruit Dove (8 shillings): this species is an compulsory fruit eater – it solely eats fruit. One of many penalties could also be that its metabolic charge is considerably decrease than that of birds with out these dietary restrictions (supply).
One other, most likely associated distinction from different doves is the upper water content material and decrease fats content material of its meat – 74% water and 4% fats in comparison with 53% water and 30% fats for the Frequent Emerald Dove (supply).
The Black-naped Fruit Dove will be present in a surprisingly giant variety of zoos everywhere in the world, together with Tulsa, Barcelona, Columbus, Salt Lake Metropolis, Cleveland, and Milwaukee – greater than 50 zoos altogether (see this listing).
At solely 7 and eight shillings (Wallace provided two specimens in his listing), the White-faced Cuckoo-dove apparently was not considered a really thrilling chook regardless of being a Wallacean endemic with a restricted distribution on Sulawesi and its satellites.
The genus identify Turacoena (full scientific identify is Turacoena manadensis) is attention-grabbing because it combines the phrases for Turaco (which certainly this species resembles a bit) and “oinas”, Greek for pigeon.
The Blue-capped Fruit Dove (8 shillings, in case you needed to purchase it from Wallace in 1863) is a North Moluccan endemic described by Cornell as a “good-looking, diminutive” species.
It isn’t quite common and possibly in decline attributable to habitat loss, which explains its itemizing as Close to Threatened by BirdLife Worldwide.
Presumably, the “monk” (monacha) within the scientific identify Ptilinopus monacha refers back to the cap of the chook.
The Slender-billed Cuckoo-dove was priced a bit greater at 10 shillings. The species discovered on Halmahera, the place these images had been taken, is now referred to as Sultan’s Cuckoo-dove.
The scientific identify Macropygia doreya doesn’t discuss with any person’s girlfriend named Dorey however reasonably to Dorey that means New Guinea – which continues to be considerably deceptive as the middle of this species’ distribution appears to be a bit additional west than New Guinea.
I requested ChatGPT concerning the “Sultan’s” within the species’ identify. ChatGPT advised me that “The identify ‘Sultan’s Cuckoo-Dove’ (Macropygia doreya) is considerably deceptive as a result of it doesn’t really discuss with a historic sultan or a particular individual. As a substitute, the identify ‘Sultan’ possible displays the chook’s perceived regal look or distinguished presence”
I used to be not fairly certain about this reply, so I requested again: “But when that rationalization is appropriate, shouldn’t the chook be referred to as Sultan Cuckoo-Dove, as in ‘Sultan Tit’?” ChatGPT agreed to some extent, I suppose: “You’re appropriate in noting the distinction between ‘Sultan’s Cuckoo-Dove’ and names like ‘Sultan Tit.’ The possessive type ‘Sultan’s’ versus the non-possessive ‘Sultan’ in chook names can certainly be complicated. The naming conventions in ornithology don’t all the time observe a strict sample, and this will result in such discrepancies.”
Again to Mr. Wallace and his choices. The Nice Cuckoo-dove bought for 20 shillings – the one dove promoting above the typical of his specimens, although nonetheless far decrease than the 240 shillings he requested for the most costly chook within the listing, the Twelve-wired Fowl-of-paradise.
The scientific identify Reinwardtoena reinwardti is a bit embarrassing for Prof. Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt (1773-1854), a Dutch naturalist and collector within the East Indies – utilizing his identify as soon as would certainly have been sufficient. Modesty apparently was not amongst his core character traits.
Additionally, why identify a chook after a botanist? The identify was given to the species by Temminck – I ponder whether, in return, there are some vegetation named after him … I could be too cynical however I’m normally proper …
For individuals who couldn’t afford 20 shillings for this species, a Pied Imperial Pigeon was accessible for 15 shillings. A cut price.
The previous couple of doves proven on this put up weren’t on Wallace’s listing, so I can not let you know their value in 1863.
However the Ruddy Cuckoo-dove nonetheless has an honest connection to the primary storyline of this put up. Its scientific identify is Macropygia emiliana. And the emiliana refers to François Charles Émile Fauqueux-Parzudaki (1829-1899), a French pure historical past seller with a robust give attention to birds and thus a competitor of the seller utilized by Wallace, Samuel Stevens (supply).
François Charles Émile Fauqueux-Parzudaki was on this enterprise till roughly 1867, so would have been lively when the worth listing proven in the beginning of this put up was revealed. Surprisingly, in 1874 he took over the administration of a shoe manufacturing unit, one thing that the majority trendy birders and ornithologists would possibly wrestle with.
The Inexperienced Imperial Pigeon is listed as Close to Threatened, which is a bit stunning provided that the Cornell entry states that the species “stays a fairly widespread and simply encountered species throughout giant components of its vary”.
The subspecies proven right here – seen on Sulawesi – needs to be the subspecies Ducula aenea paulina. It’s named after Antoinette Pauline Jacqueline Knip née Ryfer Courcelles (1781-1851), a French chook artist. You may see one among her works right here.
Cornell makes the species sound like an everyday participant in air reveals: “Male performs spectacular display-flight, commencing in regular flight, then immediately beats wings vigorously and shoots vertically upwards over c. 2 m, earlier than stalling momentarily with wings flexed and neck outstretched, as if about to tip over backwards, lastly turning sharply and diving down, then resuming regular flight, or rises from timber to carry out comparable flight”.
Sadly, these performances are strictly achieved for females of the species, not for birders like me, even when they arrive from international nations.
Lastly, the Cinnamon-bellied Imperial Pigeon is mainly a Halmahera endemic.
It’s one among about 36 species within the genus Ducula, the Imperial Pigeons.
Whereas Wikipedia claims that Ducula is derived from the Latin dux genitive ducis that means “chief”, Cornell states that Dukul is the Nepalese identify for the imperial pigeons. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Fowl names, apparently not desirous to take sides, gives each explanations.
Properly illustrating the pointlessness of some Google analysis, I additionally discovered that the Pure Historical past Museum of the College of Oslo, Norway has a specimen of the species.
