Prehistoric avifaunas from the Kingdom of Tonga
Author
Worthy, Trevor H.
Author
Burley, David V.
text
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
2020
189
998
1045
journal article
0024-4082
6970CF4-C1F0-4637-BC8C-B24C0BD2366D
GENUS
DIDUNCULUS
PEALE
, 1849
Remarks:
The genus
Didunculus
is represented by one extant species, the tooth-billed pigeon,
Didunculus strigirostris
(
Jardine, 1845
)
, a large colourful pigeon, notable for its stout, hooked bill, that historically was restricted to the islands of Savai'i, Upolu and Nu'utele in
Western Samoa
(
Steadman, 2006a
, b).
Steadman (2006b)
described an extinct species,
Di. placopedetes
, from Late Holocene fossil deposits on '
Eua
and
Tongatapu
in
Tonga
. This was also a common species in the Teouma fauna on Efate,
Vanuatu
(
Worthy
et al.
, 2015
). Diagnostic features distinguishing this species from the similar-sized
Columba vitiensis
Quoy & Gaimard, 1830
and
Du. pacifica
and from the larger
C. nicobarica
were presented by
Worthy
et al.
(2015)
. The present Tongan material did not differ from the
Vanuatu
material.
DIDUNCULUS
PLACOPEDETES
STEADMAN
, 2006
,
TONGAN
TOOTH-BILLED
PIGEON