The scarlet-breasted fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it occurs in the northern Moluccas. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is rated as a species of least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species. In 1863 Hermann Schlegel named the new species for one of his collectors, Heinrich Agathon Bernstein.
Region
Maluku Islands (Northern Moluccas), Indonesia
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland and hill rainforests of the northern Moluccas, favoring primary forest and mature secondary growth. It keeps mostly to the mid- to upper canopy, where fruiting trees are abundant. Birds are occasionally seen at forest edges and in tall secondary vegetation, especially when figs are in season. The species is generally local but can be fairly common where suitable habitat persists.
Altitude Range
0–1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
This canopy-dwelling fruit-dove is named after the German naturalist Heinrich Agathon Bernstein, and was described by Hermann Schlegel in 1863. Males show a striking scarlet breast patch, while females are mostly green, a classic example of sexual dimorphism in fruit-doves. It plays an important role in seed dispersal for many forest trees and figs.
Temperament
shy and cryptic
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with swift dashes between trees
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, occasionally in small loose groups at fruiting trees. A simple platform nest of twigs is placed well above ground in dense foliage. Typically lays a single egg, with both parents sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft, low-pitched coos delivered from concealed perches high in the canopy. Notes are mellow and rhythmic, often given as a short series separated by pauses.
Plumage
Male with vivid scarlet breast patch on otherwise predominantly green plumage, with an ashy-grey head and cleaner yellowish underparts; female mostly leaf-green without the scarlet patch. Both sexes have darker flight feathers and pale edging on some wing coverts.
Diet
Primarily consumes small fruits and berries, especially figs (Ficus), which are swallowed whole. It forages quietly among the canopy, moving between fruiting trees. By passing seeds through its digestive tract and dispersing them over distance, it aids forest regeneration.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the mid- to upper canopy of mature forest and tall secondary growth. Frequently visits fruiting fig trees and other seasonally fruiting species, and may venture to forest edges when crops are abundant.
