Golden Fruit Dove
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Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Synonyms: Chrysoenas luteovirens

[Photo] Chrysoenas luteovirens, Golden Dove. Kula Eco Park. Date: Aug 14, 2007. Copyright ?? 2007 Dr. Paddy Ryan. Source: http://calphotos.berkeley.edu

The Golden Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus luteovirens), also known as the Lemon Dove or Yellow Dove, is a small, approximately 20 cm long, short-tailed fruit-dove in the family Columbidae. The common name refers to the males' bright golden-yellow colour. The body feathers appear almost iridescent due to their elongated shape and hair-like texture. The head is slightly duller with a greenish tinge. The bill, orbital skin and legs are bluish-green and the iris is whitish. The underwings and tail coverts are yellow. The female is a dark green bird with bare parts resembling those of the male. The young resembles female.

The Golden Fruit Doves are distributed and endemic to forests of Viti Levu, Ovalau, Gau, Beqa and Waya group islands of Fiji. The diet of Ptilinopus luteovirens consists mainly of various small fruits, berries and insects. The female usually lays a single white egg.

The Golden Dove is closely related to the allopatric Whistling Dove and Orange Dove.

A common species throughout its limited range, Ptilinopus luteovirens is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Dove

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