Sydney Porter—Notes on Birds of Fiji



167



supply. Most of the Pigeons are protected and the sale of the protected

birds is prohibited, the natives getting over this handicap by plucking

the birds of all their feathers before exposing them for sale ;

consequently only an expert can tell their species. So that it looks as

though a few more years would see the extinction of this bird.


The Fijian White-throated Pigeon (< Janthcenas vitiensis)


This bird is known in Fiji as the “ Chili Pigeon ”, owing to its

feeding to a large extent on capsicums. It is one of the few so-called

“ game-birds ” of Fiji and is greatly persecuted by the “ Whites ”,

who in the open season slaughter great numbers. Fortunately this

Pigeon is supposed to retire into the almost inaccessible mountain

forests in the interior of Viti Levu to breed, so during that part of the

year it is safe from persecution ; it has not decreased to the extent of

the previously mentioned bird.


This is a large bird, somewhat resembling the English Wood-pigeon,

but has a white band across the throat. I brought a pair of these birds

away from Fiji with me, and later on about a dozen were sent from Fiji

to New Zealand. I only brought one pair away with me as there only

seemed to be one hen ; this bird lacked the white throat. At first

I thought this was a sign of immaturity, but since I brought the bird

home it has bred several times but has never developed the white

throat. I find these birds very hardy ; mine stay out all the winter in

any aviary with an unheated shelter. Unfortunately success has never

crowned their efforts at breeding, something has always happened to

the youngster—either it has been killed by other birds, taken by rats,

or killed by an early frost. The parents seem as easy and anxious to

breed as ordinary domestic Pigeons, and eggs are laid in all manner of

places, often most unsatisfactory ones. Though very affectionate to

each other, they are extremely pugnacious to other Pigeons, and it is

impossible to keep another bird of the Pigeon species in their aviary.


Stair’s Ground Pigeon (Gallicolumba stairi)


This bird belongs to the group of White-fronted Ground Pigeons

which is distributed over many of the Pacific Islands. I only saw this

bird in Kandavu, where it lives amongst the thick undergrowth in the



