Micronesian Imperial-Pigeon

SCI Name:  Ducula oceanica
Protonym:  Columba oceanica Dict.Sci.Nat. 40 p.316
Taxonomy:  Columbiformes / Columbidae / Ducula
Taxonomy Code:  miipig1
Type Locality:  Kusaie, Caroline Islands.
Author:  Desmarest
Publish Year:  1826
IUCN Status:  Vulnerable

DEFINITIONS

DUCULA
(Columbidae; Ϯ Mountain Imperial Pigeon D. badia insignis) Nepalese name Dukul for the imperial pigeons (cf. Hindi names Dunkul and Doomkul); "Genus or Sub-genus — DUCULA nobis. — DUKUL OF THE NIPALESE (genericé)    Character of the genus:—bill equal to the head, straight, cylindric, very feeble; both mandibles membranous for three-fourths from the gape; tip of the upper mandible gently inclined—of the lower, strongly compressed; nares broad, linear, obliquely transverse, central; their groove faint; their tect subtumid.  Wings short, not rounded, 3, 4, 5 quills sub-equal and longest; central primaries with their tips wavily truncated.  Tail 14, long, strong and square; tarsi very low, and plumed nearly to the toes laterally, less in front; toes depressed with broad flat soles; lateral fores sub-equal, hind large; nails strong, arched and acuminated; central and hind equal, lateral fores equal, less; orbits nude; plumage simple.  The above is a tedious charcater, but it is a distinct one. Those who love more summary proceedings may perhaps approve the following: "Bill and wings as in Goura; legs and feet as in Vinago."  ...  Lastly, though Ducula, like Vinago, be exclusively arboreal and fruit-eating; the latter is eminently gregarious—the former, almost a solitary.   Species new. DUCULA INSIGNIS. Great Ducula, nobis." (Hodgson 1836); "Ducula Hodgson, As. Res., 19, 1836, p. 160. Type, by monotypy, Ducula insignis Hodgson." (Peters, 1937, III, p. 42).   
Synon. Carpophaga, Carpophagella, Compsoenas, Globicera, Lamprura, Muscadivora, Muscadivores, Myriphaga, Myristicivora, Phaenorhina, Pterocolpa, Ptilocolpa, Rinopus, Serresius, Zonoenas, Zonophaps.

oceanica / oceanicus
Med. L. oceanicus  oceanic  < L. oceanus  ocean  < Gr. ωκεανος ōkeanos  ocean.

SUBSPECIES

Micronesian Imperial-Pigeon (monacha)
SCI Name: Ducula oceanica monacha
monacha
Late. L. monacha  nun (i.e. hooded)  < Gr. μοναχη monakhē  nun  < μονος monos  solitary  < μοναχοω monakhoō  to make single.
● ex “Moloxita” or “Réligieuse d’Abissinie” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Nun Thrush” of Latham 1783 (Oriolus).

Micronesian Imperial-Pigeon (teraokai)
SCI Name: Ducula oceanica teraokai
teraokai
Naoshi Teraoka (1885-1955) Japanese collector with Owston Trading Co., ornithologist (Nobuhiko Osawa per Björn Bergenholtz in litt.) (subsp. Ducula oceanica, syn. Periparus ater insularis, subsp. Todiramphus chloris).

Micronesian Imperial-Pigeon (townsendi)
SCI Name: Ducula oceanica townsendi
townsendi / townsendii
● John Kirk Townsend (1809-1851) US ornithologist, explorer, collector (syn. Aphriza virgata, syn. Brachyramphus marmoratus, syn. Cinclus mexicanus unicolor, syn. Haematopus ater, Myadestes, subsp. Passerella unalaschcensis, syn. Phalacrocorax penicillatus, Setophaga, ‡Spiza).
● Charles Haskins Townsend (1859-1944) US naturalist, Fisheries Commission 1883, Director of New York Aquarium 1902-1937 (subsp. Aerodramus spodiopygius, subsp. Ducula oceanica, syn. Geospiza psittacula, syn. Hydrobates melania, subsp. Junco hyemalis, syn. Lagopus muta, subsp. Myiagra vanikorensis, subsp. Plectrophenax nivalis).
● Dr Charles Wendell Townsend (1859-1934) US obstetrician, field ornithologist, world-wide traveller, collector 1906-1932 (subsp. Cardinalis cardinalis, subsp. Spindalis zena, subsp. Thalurania colombica).

Micronesian Imperial-Pigeon (oceanica)
SCI Name: Ducula oceanica oceanica
oceanica / oceanicus
Med. L. oceanicus  oceanic  < L. oceanus  ocean  < Gr. ωκεανος ōkeanos  ocean.

Micronesian Imperial-Pigeon (ratakensis)
SCI Name: Ducula oceanica ratakensis
ratakensis
Ratak Is., Marshall Is.