The avifauna of Biak Island, Papua, Indonesia with comments on status, conservation, natural history and taxonomy Author Bishop, K. David text Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 2023 2023-03-06 143 1 3 62 journal article 298463 10.25226/bboc.v143i1.2023.a2 6028cf6b-e944-40d1-b774-7caa1c970409 2513-9894 11642130 805136AB-F3FE-4C77-85AC-E37423156B6D TORRESIAN IMPERIAL PIGEON Ducula spilorrhoa # Local name Man Dun (Sansudi, Kuneff). Range Biak, Supiori, Owi, Mios Num, Yapen and many small islets. Taxonomy Formerly considered a race of Pied Imperial Pigeon D. melanura but split by del Hoyo & Collar (2014) and Beehler & Pratt (2016). Christidis & Boles (2008) highlighted the complexity of issues related to the various populations in this species group (Pied Imperial Pigeon D. bicolor , Torresian Imperial Pigeon D. spilorrhoa , Silver-tipped Imperial Pigeon D. luctuosa and Yellowish Imperial Pigeon D. subflavescens ), which clearly merits re-analysis using molecular data (Beehler & Pratt 2016). Status Resident. Obtained by four collectors including Ripley who found it common in mangroves and up to 500 m . Infrequently seen by subsequent visitors. 29 August 2015 : KDB saw a flock of five in flight over forest west of Biak town and 13 perched in tall mangrove forest at Tanjung Barai , at the eastern tip of Biak . 8 December 2016 : KDB saw 20 flying into the tsunami swamp ; 10 November 2017 : three (A. Walker, eBird checklist S46415319) and 5 August 2018 ten (S. Lorenz, eBird checklist S47661085) at the latter site. 13 January 1994 : five on Owi (P. Gregory in litt . 2000); July 2012 small numbers on a rocky islet off southern Biak ( van Beirs 2012 ) . Breeding Ripley found nests with eggs in mangroves in mid December ( Mayr & Meyer de Schauensee 1939 ). 11 January 1997 : a young bird was shown to SvB at Marauw. Mitchell (1989) noted the species nesting in October‒March on Kumbur and Nutabari in the Auri archipelago, south-east Teluk Cenderawasih. Recent observations in mangroves during December‒January may pertain to breeders like Ripley’s observations. Largely a seasonal migrant from north-east Australia (Beehler & Pratt 2016), but breeds in the Middle Sepik and on islands off south-east New Guinea (Coates 1985) . These may be the only breeding records for Indonesian New Guinea .