Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae)

Metallic Pigeon (Columba vitiensis) - HBW 4, p. 121

French: Pigeon à gorge blanche German: Weißwangentaube Spanish: Paloma Gorgiblanca
Other common names: Grey-throated/Chili/White-throated Pigeon, Metallic Woodpigeon

Taxonomy: Columba vitiensis Quoy and Gaimard, 1830, Fiji.
Belongs to a superspecies of dark-coloured, iridescent Asian and Australasian forms, including C. janthina and C. leucomela, and the extinct C. versicolor and C. jouyi; C. pallidiceps may also be related. Race godmanae of Lord Howe I extinct; validity uncertain, as no specimen exists, the description being based on a painting. Proposed race mendeni from Taliabu, Sula Is no longer regarded as valid. Eight subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

griseogularis (Walden & E. L. Layard, 1872) - Philippines, Sulu Archipelago, and islands off N Borneo.
anthracina (Hachisuka, 1939) - Palawan, probably Calauit, and possibly also some islands off N Borneo.
metallica (Temminck, 1835) - Lesser Sundas.

See all 8 subspecies

griseogularis (Walden & E. L. Layard, 1872) - Philippines, Sulu Archipelago, and islands off N Borneo.
anthracina (Hachisuka, 1939) - Palawan, probably Calauit, and possibly also some islands off N Borneo.
metallica (Temminck, 1835) - Lesser Sundas.
halmaheira (Bonaparte, 1855) - Banggai and Sula Is through Moluccas and W Papuan Is to New Guinea, then on to Louisiade Archipelago and Solomon Is.
leopoldi (Tristram, 1879) - Vanuatu.
hypoenochroa (Gould, 1856) - New Caledonia, I of Pines and Loyalty Is.
vitiensis Quoy & Gaimard, 1830 - Fiji.
castaneiceps Peale, 1848 - Western Samoa, on Savaii, Apolima, Manono and Upolu.