AUSTRALIAN 110 BIRD WATCHER AUSTRALIAN BIRD WATCHER 1995, 16, 110-114 First Sighting of the Elegant Imperial-Pigeon Ducula concinna in Australia by A. JO WRIGHT1, ROGER JAENSCH2, JOHN WOINARSKP and PETER SOULOS3 1P.O. Box 233, Nightcliff, N.T. 0810 2Wildlife Research Unit, Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory, P.O. Box 496, Palmerston, N.T. 0831 3Clematis Street, Nightcliff, N.T. 0810 Introduction The Elegant Imperial-Pigeon Ducula concinna inhabits the smaller islands and islets in Wallacea from the Aru Islands and those off the Bomberai Peninsula (South Vogelkop region) of Irian Jaya, through to those off the Sulawesi coast (Goodwin 1970, Sibley & Monroe 1990). Localities closest to Darwin (N.T., Australia) that certainly support this species include Pulau Teun 620 km to the north (Goodwin 1970), and Seflllata c. 510 km to the north (Sibley & Monroe 1990). The bird is apparently found only on small islands throughout its range; the Aru Islands located 715 km to the north­ east of Darwin are the largest islands in its range. It is not recorded as a migrating species. We have no current information on its status. Goodwin (1970) quoted Meise (1930) that it was usually found in large flocks on Kalao Tua, where it was abundant. The sighting In 1991 Soulos, a resident of Clematis Street in the northern Darwin suburb of Nightcliff, heard an unusual bird call in his garden during the middle of the day which he thought may have been the call of a crow. Many months after he noted the original call, a friend, Nigel Gray of Oleander Street, invited him to view the 'crow' which was roosting in a tree in Gray's garden some 100m away. What they saw was a pigeon unlike any they had seen before. Soulos, being a pigeon-breeder, was keen to identify the species and, after confirming that it was not described in Schodde & Tidemann (1986), he contacted a number of people whom he thought may have been able to help. Over many months contacts included prominent aviculturists who had never heard of a bird of such description being held in captivity in Darwin, and long-term Darwin residents who had likewise never heard nor seen a bird that fitted the description offered. Soulos called staff of the Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory (CCNT) at the Territory Wildlife Park, who were interested but unsuccessful in their attempts to view the bird. The description of the bird given to CCNT staff was of a large pigeon with pale body and green wings, and an apparent 'knob' on its upper mandible. A preliminary diagnosis from that information was of a Black-knobbed (or Spice) Imperial-Pigeon Ducula myristicivora. Soulos developed an extensive knowledge of the unidentified bird's habits, including the places it roosted at different times of the day, its preening patterns and a variety of calls, and observed it feeding on seeds of the Carpentaria Palm Carpentaria acuminata in his neighbour's yard. By May 1994 it was about three years since he first heard the bird. He recalled that in the past it had disappeared for long periods before returning to resume its haunts, always in a rather restricted territory, and where VOL. 16 (3) SEPTEMBER 1995 Elegant Imperial-Pigeon in Australia 111 it remained for extended periods. It had always been alone when seen. Although no dates are recorded, Soulos is adamant that the bird was seen in Nightcliff in the dry season. Its identity, however, remained elusive. On 18 September 1993, Wright returned home to Frangipanni Street in Nightcliff after one month away, and within hours heard a new bird call in the neighbourhood. Opposite his home are two large Banyan Figs spanning three entire house-block frontages, magnificent specimens of Ficus virens var. virens. One of these trees is huge and dense, the other a younger tree of lesser proportions and more open canopy, where many local and migratory birds roost. The call was a striking rrhaaahw, loud and resonant, usually repeated after a delay of 10 seconds or so, and always emitted from the more open of the two trees. It was so distinctive that Wright's 18-month-old son quickly added it to his repertoire, along with his replies to Brahminy Kites Haliastur indus which nest in the larger Banyan. The call was usually heard a half dozen or more times at first light between 0600 and 0630 h, and then again in the evening around 1745-1830 h. Typically through the day there was an occasional single call, although on one occasion a Whistling Kite H. sphenurus gliding low overhead provoked three calls in succession. A second distinctive call, low-pitched and quite penetrating, and best represented by due, was heard throughout the day when the bird was present. Attempts to sight the bird were fruitless for many weeks. Despite hearing the bird almost every day, Wright was unable to catch a glimpse of it. A neighbour reported subsequently that she had heard the bird for perhaps a few weeks earlier, but similarly it had remained out of her sight. The calls were absent for a week or so in early October, but then were given at their original location on a daily basis for a further three weeks. A good view of the particular tree was had from the balcony of Wright's elevated house, which was 40 m from the tree's base and less than 25 m from the edge of its canopy, but in spite of this the bird remained elusive. On 22 October 1993, at 1750 h, he caught sight of what initially was thought to be a large Pied Imperial-Pigeon Ducula bicolor. While still silhouetted, the bird raised its head, ruffled the feathers at the back of its neck, opened its bill widely and emitted a loud rrhaaahw. It moved off on that occasion but the following morning at 0545 h in dull first light it was seen sitting in the open on the powerlines not 10 m from the balcony. It retreated to the position at the top of the open Banyan where it had been observed the previous day, and was to be seen within a 3 m radius of the same position on a twice-daily basis for the following week. Wright was able to study it through 7 x 50 binoculars from 40 m, make a sound-recording of the call, and obtain several colour photographs over the next few days, all at times of fairly low light. The following is adapted from Wright's original field notes: The bird is slightly larger than the Torresian [Pied] Imperial-Pigeon. The head, throat and breast are pale grey with a hint of a fawn wash, eye is orange, bill black with a small cere on the upper mandible and a ring of white feathers around the base; wings, back and tail are dark grey-black, the long tail is centrally notched; strong bare legs are bright pink-red. In flight the underwing is entirely dark grey, and the wingbeats are slower and more deliberate than the Torresian pigeon. The bird looked to be without injury. The call was often emitted in response to the close approach of Pied Imperial­ Pigeons, which are numerous in the area at the time of year and very active at dawn and dusk, and which at that time were rather preoccupied with mating behaviour. The particular Banyan was heavily fruiting with small green fruit, which attracts flocks of up to 50 Rainbow Lorikeets Trichoglossus haematodus rubritorquis and up to a dozen or so Pied Imperial-Pigeons at the peak viewing times of dawn and dusk, all feeding rather noisily. In contrast, the bird was indifferent to the surrounding feasting. It climbed along branches quite inconspicuously, occasionally hopping to another perch, AUSTRALIAN 112 WRIGHT, JAENSCH, WOINARSKI & SOULOS BIRD WATCHER and on several occasions was seen to peck at fruit but never observed to eat them, and was mostly inactive. It disappeared from view around 0630 h, flying at well below tree-top height to nearby trees, and thence out of view. Its distinctive call could occasionally be heard from elsewhere in the neighbourhood, but in the main it called repetitively only at its 'home perch'. Diagnosis On 29 October 1993 at 0600 h Woinarski and Jaensch were able to join Wright on the balcony armed with a collection of regional bird guides to assist in identification, and succeeded in viewing the bird around 0700 h. It appeared suddenly at the usual open perch at the top of the Banyan tree, and its size was slightly larger than a Pied Imperial-Pigeon. Additional observations in the brighter light, from Jaensch's field notes, included: a fine yellow ring around the bright orange iris, an iridescent green visible on the shoulders, black bill which appeared laterally broad at the base, a dark, dull chestnut vent, and black claws. The back, rump, upperwing coverts and secondaries were dark grey with green, blue and/or bronze iridescence that was bright at some angles to the light. There was possibly a brighter blue sheen on the rump. Upper side of primaries and tail were similar to the back but with Jess iridescence, often appearing black. The description and calls match closely those of the Elegant Imperial-Pigeon described in Goodwin (1970, p. 396, where it is referred to as Blue-tailed Imperial Pigeon) and Beehler et al. (1986) . The small cere is not described in either published account, but in all other respects it matches closely. Similar species are the White­ eyed Imperial-Pigeon Ducula perspicillata (of the larger islands between Sulawesi and New Guinea), which is distinguished from this bird by a darker head, paler vent and dark brown irides; and the Black-knobbed Imperial-Pigeon (of far north-western New Guinea and adjacent islands), which when compared with this bird has more pink on the underparts, paler underwings, and brown irides.