Black Imperial Pigeon
Photo: Norma Malinowski · CC BY 4.0

Doves and Pigeons

Black Imperial Pigeon

Ducula melanochroa

LCLeast Concern Endemic to Papua New Guinea
Family
Doves and Pigeons (Columbidae)
Order
Columbiformes

Overview

The black imperial pigeon (Ducula melanochroa), also known as the Bismarck imperial pigeon, is a species of bird in the pigeon family, Columbidae. First described by English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1878, it is endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago, where it mainly inhabits rainforest and cloud forest in mountain areas above 500 m (1,600 ft). It is a large, heavily built imperial pigeon, with a length of 38–43 cm (15–17 in) and a weight of 661–665 g (23.3–23.5 oz). Adults are almost entirely black, except for the dark chestnut undertail coverts, the silvery-grey underside of the tail, and a pale grey scaly pattern on the wings and back.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Bismarck Archipelago.

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Continents

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.