Northern Mariana Islands Territorial Bird
Mariana Fruit Dove (common name)  Ptilinopus roseicapilla (scientific name) Overview The Mariana fruit dove is a small pigeon with a gray head and breast, green upper body, orange belly, grayish green bill, and gray feet. The bird also has a distinct pinkish-red crown. Its diet primarily consists of various fruit including papaya, figs, and inkberry, as well as seeds and insects. The fruit dove was adopted as the official bird of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in 1989. Close-up STATUS Official ALSO KNOWN AS Pink-capped fruit-dove, rose-capped fruit-dove, green fruit-dove PHYSICAL DETAILS    Male Female  Size Length to end of tail: 9 in (24 cm) Wing from flexure: 6 in (16 cm) Length of tail: 4 in (10 cm) Length to end of tail: 9 in (24 cm) Wing from flexure: 6 in (16 cm) Length of tail: 4 in (10 cm)  Weight 10 oz. (280g) 10 oz. (280g) BEHAVIOR The Mariana fruit dove has a relatively small territory but will move within that territory to follow the ripening of the fruit on various trees. They are shy birds, and are more often heard than seen. The female usually lays her egg in a platform of loosely woven twigs and tendrils nestled in the fork of a tree, six to 20 feet (2–6 m) above the ground. The bird’s call is a loud, repeated "hoo coo" that becomes faster and ends as a rapid "coo coo coo coo coo." Courtship rituals involve the male bowing repeatedly to the female. Both the chick and egg are tended by both parents.  HABITAT Sub-tropical and dry rainforest, moist eucalyptus forests, and swamp forests where there are good supplies of fruit. Range: The lowland rainforests of Guam and Northern Marianan islands of Rota, Tinian, Saipan, and Agiguan. Migration: Non-migratory. Conservation Status: Least concern (LC). Threatened in some parts of Australia due to habitat destruction. NESTING Nesting Period: November to April Size of Clutch: 1 egg Incubation Period: 17 days Egg Description: White Egg Size: 2.3 in (6 cm) SIMILAR SPECIES Wompoo pigeon, purple-crowned pigeon, superb fruit dove, rose-crowned fruit dove TRIVIA The bird's name is based on the Marianas Islands (of which Guam is the largest island). It is locally known as Tottot in the Chamorro language, Mwee’mwe in Carolinian, andPaluman Totut in the Northern Marianas. The Mariana fruit dove was originally chosen as the official mascot of the 2006 Micronesian Games in Saipan.
	Click to enlarge an image Mariana Fruit Dove Illustration Inquisitive Mariana Fruit Dove CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae Genus: Ptilinopus Species: P. roseicapilla
	Author: World Trade Press