Photo: (c) Joseph Morlan, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spice Imperial Pigeon
Ducula myristicivora
Spice Imperial Pigeon (Ducula myristicivora) — Pigeons & Doves of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Spice Imperial Pigeon (Ducula myristicivora) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 535 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Columbiformes
- Family Columbidae Pigeons, Doves
- Genus Ducula
- Species myristicivora
Where it lives
Widi Is. (east of southeastern Halmahera, northern Moluccas; 1 old record), Gebe (northwest of New Guinea) and Raja Ampat Is. (northwest of New Guinea)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 535 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Columbidae
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spice 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 Spice Imperial Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spice Imperial Pigeon (Ducula myristicivora) is a species of bird in the Columbidae family, part of the order Columbiformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Widi Is. (e of se Halmahera, n Moluccas; 1 old record), Gebe (nw of New Guinea) and Raja Ampat Is. (nw of New Guinea).
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 535 g, with a wing length of about 24.7 cm and a tail of around 13.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 7,546 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spice Imperial Pigeon?
The Spice Imperial Pigeon is a large bird that weighs around 535 g.
Where does the Spice Imperial Pigeon live?
The Spice Imperial Pigeon is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Widi Is. (e of se Halmahera, n Moluccas; 1 old record), Gebe (nw of New Guinea) and Raja Ampat Is. (nw of New Guinea), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Spice Imperial Pigeon belong to?
The Spice Imperial Pigeon (Ducula myristicivora) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.
What does the Spice Imperial Pigeon eat?
The Spice Imperial Pigeon is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Spice Imperial Pigeon migrate?
The Spice Imperial Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spice Imperial Pigeon endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Spice Imperial Pigeon make?
1 real field recording of the Spice Imperial Pigeon — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Spice Imperial Pigeon's range?
The Spice Imperial Pigeon has a mapped global range of about 7,546 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
More in Columbidae
Least Concern
Extinct
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Pigeons & Doves
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
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.