The Yellowish Imperial Pigeon (Ducula subflavescens), also known as the Yellow-tinted Imperial Pigeon or Bismarck Imperial Pigeon (leading to easy confusion with D. melanochroa), is a relatively large species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is endemic to forest and woodland in the Bismarck Archipelago. It is threatened by habitat loss.
It is often considered a subspecies of the Torresian Imperial Pigeon (which in turn sometimes is considered a subspecies of the Pied Imperial Pigeon), but is increasingly treated as a separate species. It resembles the Torresian Imperial Pigeon, but has a distinctly yellow-tinged plumage and a bluish base to the bill.
Famous quotes containing the words imperial and/or pigeon:
“All the terrors of the French Republic, which held Austria in awe, were unable to command her diplomacy. But Napoleon sent to Vienna M. de Narbonne, one of the old noblesse, with the morals, manners, and name of that interest, saying, that it was indispensable to send to the old aristocracy of Europe men of the same connection, which, in fact, constitutes a sort of free- masonry. M. de Narbonne, in less than a fortnight, penetrated all the secrets of the imperial cabinet.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“They wait, each like a wooden decoy
or soft like a pigeon or
a sweet snug duck:
until one moves, moves that dart-beak
breaking over.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)