birding-aus

Emerald Dove RFI: Pacific or Common?

To: Steve Clark <>
Subject: Emerald Dove RFI: Pacific or Common?
From: Ed Williams <>
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2012 18:36:58 +1100
Hi all,

Surely Vanuatu and New Caledonia would have to be Pacific Emerald Dove if Aus 
and PNG are?

Otherwise you'd end up with Common either side which would seem very  odd...

Cheers,

Ed


Ed Williams
Kingsville, VIC

On 13/11/2012, at 6:18 PM, "Steve Clark" <> wrote:

> G'day Carl et al.
> 
> There's an armchair tick at stake here!
> 
> Does anyone know if the Emerald Dove on Vanuatu is C. indica? Can
> someone please direct me to the appropriate reference?
> 
> Cheers
> Steve
> 
> Sent from my iPod
> 
> On 13/11/2012, at 11:08 AM, Carl Weber <> wrote:
> 
>> Hi Steve,
>> 
>> I do not know for certain about Vanuatu. However, on New Caledonia, the
>> resident is Common Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps indica). So, it is likely that
>> it is Common ED on Vanuatu, also.
>> 
>> Best wishes,
>> 
>> Carl
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Steve Clark 
>> Sent: Monday, 12 November 2012 2:15 PM
>> To: Carl Weber
>> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Emerald Dove RFI: Pacific or Common?
>> 
>> G'day Carl
>> 
>> Do you know what species is on Vanuatu?
>> 
>> Cheers
>> Steve
>> 
>> Sent from my iPod
>> 
>> On 12/11/2012, at 2:13 PM, Carl Weber <> wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi Birders,
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 2.11.12 I wrote that there appear to be some inconsistencies in the
>>> naming of Common and Pacific Emerald Dove. I now accept that the
>>> naming is at least internally consistent. My thanks to Mick Roderick,
>>> Alastair Smith and Dave Torr for providing helpful information that
>>> enabled me to better understand the split.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> My new understanding is that Pacific Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps
>>> longirostris) occurs throughout mainland Australia, and includes
>>> emerald doves from the eastern seaboard, Torres Strait, Lord Howe
>>> Island, Norfolk Island, the Top End and the Kimberley.  Common Emerald
>>> Dove  (Chalcophaps indica) occurs on Christmas Island, and presumably
>>> elsewhere outside Australia to the west and north.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I am perhaps surprised by the location of this split, in that in
>>> appearance the Top End and Kimberley emerald dove would appear to have
>>> more in common with the Christmas Island species than with the east
>>> coast species. Also, the name Pacific Emerald Dove is a little
>>> misleading, in that the species can be also found on the Indian Ocean
>>> coast. Admittedly, there are already many worse examples of inapt naming
>> than this. Ours is not to reason why!
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> No armchair tick here for those of us moving to the IOC listing. One
>>> has to go to Christmas Island to take advantage of the split.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Carl Weber
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> From: Carl Weber 
>>> Sent: Friday, 2 November 2012 1:10 PM
>>> To: 
>>> Subject: Emerald Dove RFI: Pacific or Common?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Hi Birders,
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> There appear to be inconsistencies in the naming of Pacific Emerald
>>> Dove and Common Emerald Dove.  At least some birders have adopted the
>>> name Pacific (Chalcophaps longirostris) for birds from eastern
>>> Australia and Lord Howe Island etc, and Common (Chalcophaps indica)
>>> for birds from the Top End. This would seem to be a logical thing to
>>> do.  However, according to both bird guide books Pizzey & Knight and
>>> Simpson & Day, the former race longirostris applies to birds from the
>>> Top End. If so, the abovementioned naming practice would seem to be back
>> to front.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> So, has someone got something wrong? Was it the guide books, who some
>>> years ago incorrectly reversed the locations of the 2 dove races? Or
>>> was it the IOC, who accidentally ascribed the names Pacific and Common
>>> to the wrong species? Certainly, the name Pacific should logically
>>> apply to the species that inhabits the Pacific coast of Australia and
>> adjacent islands.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> A summary of some public information is set out below:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> P&K; S&D
>>> 
>>> Chalcophaps indica - race rogersi  (formerly chrysochlora) - eastern
>>> Australia, Lord Howe Is - picture shows plain green back.
>>> 
>>> Chalcophaps indica - race longirostris - Kimberley & Top End - picture
>>> shows grey & white bars on back.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> IOC Checklist 3.1
>>> 
>>> 4859.  Common Emerald Dove  - Chalcophaps indica - OR, AU - widespread.
>>> 
>>> 4866.  Pacific Emerald Dove - Chalcophaps longirostris - AU - Australasia.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Birding for Devils
>>> 
>>> 366 - 14 Feb - Common Emerald Dove - Christmas Island
>>> 
>>> 130 - 19 Jan - Pacific Emerald Dove - Lake Eacham, Qld
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> M Roderick on B.Aus
>>> 
>>> re: Emerald Doves, but as far as I understand it C. indica ("Common")
>>> occurs in the Top End and Kimberley and this species also ranges into SE
>> Asia.
>>> whereas C. longirostris ("Pacific") is the one found on the East Coast
>>> of Australia and Pacific Islands (including Lord Howe). C. natalis
>>> (from Christmas Island) is retained as a subspecies of (presumably) C.
>> indica.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Hoping that someone out there can bring all this to the attention of
>>> those in power.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Carl Weber
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> If I could tick both species I wouldn't be so concerned, but as I can
>>> only tick one, I do need to know which one.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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