Small islands of Wallacea and off north-western New Guinea: Talaud and Sangihe Is, islands off southern Sulawesi, southern Moluccas (including Banda, Manuk and Kai Is) and eastern Lesser Sundas (Romang to Tanimbar Is) to Aru Is and islands off Bomberai Peninsula (western New Guinea); possibly also Buru (southern Moluccas), but only 1 record, presumed to be of a vagrant. A record from Seram (southern Moluccas) is now thought to be based on a misidentification of D. rosacea.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Elegant Imperial Pigeon (Ducula concinna) [XC68203]
by Frank Lambert from Sangihe I: Gng. Sahengbalira, Sahengaruman, Indonesia (wing-clapping)
Elegant Imperial Pigeon (Ducula concinna) [XC104544]
by Mike Catsis from Taman Anggrek, Kai Kecil, Indonesia (?)
Subspecies
Forms a species-group with Green Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula aenea) and Spectacled Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula perspicillata). Several subspecies have been described, but differences appear minor and perhaps clinal, though not well understood at present.
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Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
BirdLife International Species Factsheet