Spice Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula myristicivora
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderColumbiformes (Pigeons and Doves)
- FamilyColumbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
- GenusDucula (Imperial Pigeons)
- SpeciesDucula myristicivora (Spice Imperial-Pigeon)
About the Spice Imperial-Pigeon
The spice imperial pigeon (Ducula myristicivora) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it occurs in the eastern Moluccas and the Raja Ampat Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. It eats, and is an important disperser of seeds for, fleshy fruits.
The spice imperial pigeon was formally described in 1786 by the Austrian naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli and given the binomial name Columba myristicivora. The specific epithet myristicivora combines the botanical genus name Myristica that contains the nutmeg (from the Ancient Greek muristikos meaning "fragrant"), with the Latin -vorus meaning "eating". The type locality is New Guinea. This species is now placed in the genus Ducula that was introduced by the English naturalist Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1836.
The Geelvink imperial pigeon (D. geelvinkiana) of the Schouten (or Geelvink) Islands was formerly considered conspecific, but was recognized as a distinct species by the IOC in 2021. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat
Pinon Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula pinon
Pied Imperial Pigeon
Ducula bicolor
Purple-tailed Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula rufigaster
Collared Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula mullerii
Spectacled Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula perspicillata
Zoe Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula zoeae
Elegant Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula concinna
Claret-breasted Fruit-Dove
Ptilinopus viridis
Sultan's Cuckoo-Dove
Macropygia doreya
Western Crowned-Pigeon
Goura cristata
Great Cuckoo-Dove
Reinwardtoena reinwardti
Wompoo Fruit Dove
Ptilinopus magnificus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Spice Imperial-Pigeon in Raja Ampat?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Spice Imperial-Pigeon sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 587 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Spice Imperial-Pigeon in Raja Ampat?
December has the highest sighting rate for Spice Imperial-Pigeon in Raja Ampat in our monthly data.