Pacific Imperial-Pigeon

SCI Name:  Ducula pacifica
Protonym:  Columba pacifica Syst.Nat. 1 pt2 p.777
Taxonomy:  Columbiformes / Columbidae / Ducula
Taxonomy Code:  paipig1
Type Locality:  'Insulis amicis'' = Tonga Islands.
Author:  Gmelin, JF
Publish Year:  1789
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

DUCULA
(Columbidae; Ϯ Mountain Imperial Pigeon D. badia insignis) Nepalese name Dukul for the imperial pigeons (cf. Hindi names Dunkul and Doomkul); "Genus or Sub-genus — DUCULA nobis. — DUKUL OF THE NIPALESE (genericé)    Character of the genus:—bill equal to the head, straight, cylindric, very feeble; both mandibles membranous for three-fourths from the gape; tip of the upper mandible gently inclined—of the lower, strongly compressed; nares broad, linear, obliquely transverse, central; their groove faint; their tect subtumid.  Wings short, not rounded, 3, 4, 5 quills sub-equal and longest; central primaries with their tips wavily truncated.  Tail 14, long, strong and square; tarsi very low, and plumed nearly to the toes laterally, less in front; toes depressed with broad flat soles; lateral fores sub-equal, hind large; nails strong, arched and acuminated; central and hind equal, lateral fores equal, less; orbits nude; plumage simple.  The above is a tedious charcater, but it is a distinct one. Those who love more summary proceedings may perhaps approve the following: "Bill and wings as in Goura; legs and feet as in Vinago."  ...  Lastly, though Ducula, like Vinago, be exclusively arboreal and fruit-eating; the latter is eminently gregarious—the former, almost a solitary.   Species new. DUCULA INSIGNIS. Great Ducula, nobis." (Hodgson 1836); "Ducula Hodgson, As. Res., 19, 1836, p. 160. Type, by monotypy, Ducula insignis Hodgson." (Peters, 1937, III, p. 42).   
Synon. Carpophaga, Carpophagella, Compsoenas, Globicera, Lamprura, Muscadivora, Muscadivores, Myriphaga, Myristicivora, Phaenorhina, Pterocolpa, Ptilocolpa, Rinopus, Serresius, Zonoenas, Zonophaps.

pacifica
L. pacificus  peaceful  < pax, pacis  peace; facere  to make. The Pacific Ocean was so-named by the Portuguese explorer Fernão de Magalhães or Magellan in 1520, contrasting its calm waters with the stormy seas of Cape Horn  The toponym refers to islands in the Pacific Ocean as well as localities on Pacific Ocean coasts.
● New Caledonia; ex “Pacific Shrike” of Latham 1781 (syn. Aplonis striata).
● New South Wales, Australia; ex “Pacific Heron” of Latham 1785 (Ardea).
● Pacific Ocean; ex “Pacific Petrel” of Latham 1785; "Inhabits Euopoa, and other islands of the Pacific Ocean." (Ardenna).
● Erroneous TL. Friendly Is. (= Hawaii); ex “Great Hook-billed Creeper” of Latham 1782 (‡Drepanis).
● Tonga Is.; ex “Ferruginous-vented Pigeon” of Latham 1783 (Ducula).
● Erroneous TL. Friendly Isles, Pacific Ocean (= Jamaica) (syn. Geotrygon versicolor).
● Botany Bay, New Holland; ex “Pacific Paroquet (var.)” of Phillip 1789 (syn. Glossopsitta concinna).
● Tahiti; ex “Pacific Rail” of Latham 1785 (Hypotaenidia).
● Pacific Islands; ex “Pacific Thrush” of Latham 1783 (syn. Lalage maculosa).

SUBSPECIES

Pacific Imperial-Pigeon (sejuncta)
SCI Name: Ducula pacifica sejuncta
sejuncta
L. seiunctus  separated, divided, parted  < seiungere  to separate.

Pacific Imperial-Pigeon (pacifica)
SCI Name: Ducula pacifica pacifica
pacifica
L. pacificus  peaceful  < pax, pacis  peace; facere  to make. The Pacific Ocean was so-named by the Portuguese explorer Fernão de Magalhães or Magellan in 1520, contrasting its calm waters with the stormy seas of Cape Horn  The toponym refers to islands in the Pacific Ocean as well as localities on Pacific Ocean coasts.
● New Caledonia; ex “Pacific Shrike” of Latham 1781 (syn. Aplonis striata).
● New South Wales, Australia; ex “Pacific Heron” of Latham 1785 (Ardea).
● Pacific Ocean; ex “Pacific Petrel” of Latham 1785; "Inhabits Euopoa, and other islands of the Pacific Ocean." (Ardenna).
● Erroneous TL. Friendly Is. (= Hawaii); ex “Great Hook-billed Creeper” of Latham 1782 (‡Drepanis).
● Tonga Is.; ex “Ferruginous-vented Pigeon” of Latham 1783 (Ducula).
● Erroneous TL. Friendly Isles, Pacific Ocean (= Jamaica) (syn. Geotrygon versicolor).
● Botany Bay, New Holland; ex “Pacific Paroquet (var.)” of Phillip 1789 (syn. Glossopsitta concinna).
● Tahiti; ex “Pacific Rail” of Latham 1785 (Hypotaenidia).
● Pacific Islands; ex “Pacific Thrush” of Latham 1783 (syn. Lalage maculosa).