Photo: Jean Ravau et Léa Hatteschweiler / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Goliath Imperial Pigeon
Ducula goliath
Goliath Imperial Pigeon (Ducula goliath) — Pigeons & Doves of Australia & Oceania.
The Goliath Imperial Pigeon (Ducula goliath) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 600 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Columbiformes
- Family Columbidae Pigeons, Doves
- Genus Ducula
- Species goliath
Quick facts
- Weight
- 600 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Columbidae
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Goliath Imperial Pigeon is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Goliath Imperial Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Goliath Imperial Pigeon (Ducula goliath) is a member of the Columbidae family, within the order Columbiformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Grande Terre and Ile des Pins (New Caledonia).
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 600 g, with a wing length of about 29.3 cm and a tail of around 19.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 17,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Goliath Imperial Pigeon?
The Goliath Imperial Pigeon is a large bird that weighs around 600 g.
Where does the Goliath Imperial Pigeon live?
The Goliath Imperial Pigeon is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Grande Terre and Ile des Pins (New Caledonia), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Goliath Imperial Pigeon belong to?
The Goliath Imperial Pigeon (Ducula goliath) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.
What does the Goliath Imperial Pigeon eat?
The Goliath Imperial Pigeon is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Goliath Imperial Pigeon migrate?
The Goliath Imperial Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Goliath Imperial Pigeon endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Goliath Imperial Pigeon make?
1 real field recording of the Goliath Imperial Pigeon — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Goliath Imperial Pigeon's range?
The Goliath Imperial Pigeon has a mapped global range of about 17,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
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Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Columbidae
A field guide to the Columbidae family — 352 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.