Torresian Imperial Pigeon (Ducula) [XC839750]
by James Lambert from Nightcliff, Northern Territory, Australia (begging call)
Torresian Imperial Pigeon (Ducula) [XC517555]
by James Lambert from Cairns, Queensland, Australia (call)
Subspecies
Pied Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula bicolor), White Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula luctuosa) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) and Yellowish Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula subflavescens) (Sibley and Monroe 1993) are retained as separate species. Ducula spilorrhoa and Ducula constans (Sibley and Monroe 1993) are lumped into Torresian Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula spilorrhoa), because Christidis and Boles (1994) do not recognize Kimberley Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula constans) (an Australian endemic) as a separate species, including it with spilorrhoa, subflavescens and luctuosa as a subspecies of bicolor.
Forms a distinctive superspecies with Pied Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula bicolor) and White Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula luctuosa), but species limits in this group are unclear, and all are sometimes considered conspecific. Other authors recognize up to five species. Further study is required. Subspecies subflavescens sometimes considered a distinct species. Proposed subspecies melvillensis and tarara intergrade with nominate. Status of the form constans (Kimberley region of north-western Australia) is unclear, and this population provisionally retained in nominate, pending further work.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
spilorrhoa (Gray, 1858) - Aru Is through coastal New Guinea (penetrating into interior along some major rivers) and islands in Geelvink Bay to D'Entrecasteaux, Trobriand and Woodlark Is, and Louisiade Archipelago, then south to northern and north-eastern Australia (from Kimberley region and north-western northern Territory to northern and central central Cape York Peninsula, and south down eastern coast to Aquila I, near Carmila).
subflavescens (Finsch, 1886) - Bismarck Archipelago, Admiralty Islands. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Yellowish Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula subflavescens).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet