The pied imperial pigeon is a relatively large, plump species of pigeon found in Southeast Asia, with a close relative in Northern Australia.
Its most distinguishing feature is its pied coloring.
Though commonly known as the pied imperial pigeon (Ducula bicolor), it is also called the white nutmeg pigeon. Names such as Torresian imperial pigeon, Torres Strait pigeon and Australian pied imperial pigeon belong to the closely related Australian and New Guinea birds, which most authorities now treat as a separate species, Ducula spilorrhoa.
Origins of the Pied Imperial Pigeon
The Pied Imperial Pigeon belongs to the Ducula genus of the Columbidae family, which was first introduced by English naturalist Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1836.
Some older sources treated the pied, Torresian and silver-tipped imperial pigeons as one species; most authorities now list them as separate species.
One claim to fame of the Torresian imperial pigeon is that it may have been the first Australian bird recorded by Europeans.
On Luis Vaez de Torres (opens in new tab)’s voyage through the eponymous Torres Strait in 1606, Diego de Prado noted “plenty of very large pigeons all white”.
Distribution And Habitat of the Pied Imperial Pigeon
The pied imperial pigeon lives in coastal woodland, forest, mangrove, scrub and plantations across Southeast Asia.
Its range runs from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal east to the Philippines and south through Indonesia to New Guinea.
This includes Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The pied imperial pigeon prefers small islands and the edges of coastal regions and though wide-ranging, there are few large populations in any one area.
Status of the Pied Imperial Pigeon
The pied imperial pigeon remains locally common in much of its range. Numbers are thought to be falling, mainly because of habitat loss and hunting, but the species is still classed as ‘Least Concern (opens in new tab)’ by both BirdLife International and the IUCN.
In Australia, the Torresian imperial pigeon is protected like other native birds.
Appearance of the Pied Imperial Pigeon
| Wingspan | Length | Weight | Coloring | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pied Imperial Pigeon | Not well documented | 35 – 42 cm | 365–510 g | Piebald |
| Average Feral Pigeon | 62 – 72 cm | 29 – 37 cm | 240 – 380 g | Bluish grey with some black |
The pied imperial pigeon is a largish, plump pigeon.
It is distinctively white and black.
They are mostly white with black on the outer parts of the flight feathers and tail tip.
There are also black bars on the underside of its tail.
This pigeon has a yellow or yellow/green beak. Its legs and feet are blueish grey.
The iris of the eye is brown.
Some pied imperial pigeons may appear to have a brown head, but this isn’t their natural coloring.
It is usually staining from fruit juice.
The Pied Imperial Pigeon looks very similar to the rare Silvery Pigeon. In fact, the Silvery Pigeon was once feared extinct, partly because its sightings may have been mistaken for Pied Imperial Pigeons.
Pied Imperial Pigeon Character
The pied imperial pigeon is a fast, direct flier.
Characteristic of most pigeons, the flight has a regular beat with an occasional sharp wing flick.
Many birds fly in flocks between offshore islands and the mainland each day, mostly around dawn and dusk, and some populations move seasonally.
Strong flight lets them cross stretches of open sea between islands.
Feather maintenance is something that is very important to the pied imperial pigeon.
You will often observe them preening their feathers and bathing in the rain to keep their feathers in good condition.
This species is quite gregarious and has a number of different calls.
Common communicative calls are loud and low-pitched and sound like ‘roo ca hoo’, ‘mrrroooooo’ and ‘up ooooo’.
Their display call used in courtship (and also when being aggressive) is loud, bellowing and low-pitched “coo-hoo-hoo” or “oom-oom-oom”.
Diet of the Pied Imperial Pigeon
As an arboreal dove (tree-dwelling), the pied imperial pigeon feeds almost exclusively on fruit that grows on tropical trees, vines, palms and bushes.
They prefer to feed in the dense tree canopy, but will also feed in small trees and shrubs when there is fruit.
Island-dwelling birds regularly fly in flocks to the mainland to feed, dispersing to eat.
Pied Imperial Pigeons are able to swallow fruits that contain very large seeds, and after all of the nutritious pulp and flesh has been removed, these seeds are later regurgitated or excreted whole depending on their size.
Pied Imperial Pigeon Mating And Breeding
The pied imperial pigeon has adapted its breeding process to location.
They will breed in a tree in a small to large colony having built a rather untidy nest.
But they will also breed on the ground.
On some islands, no real nest is built and the nesting site ends up ringed by mounds of excreted fruit seeds.
The female usually lays a single egg, which hatches after about four weeks.
Pairs may nest more than once in a season.
Both parents share incubation and feed the chick.
Chicks usually leave the nest about three to four weeks after hatching.
In Australia, Torresian imperial pigeons breed mainly between August and January; in Southeast Asia, timing varies by region.
Taking Care of Pied Imperial Pigeons
This is a wild species and not suitable for domestication.
Pied imperial pigeons can be seen in the wild and in some zoos and bird parks.
The best thing a bird lover can do for this species is to avoid disturbing or damaging the coastal forests, mangroves and islands it uses for feeding and breeding.
Last updated 24 October 2026 · Types