Black Cuckoo-Dove

The black cuckoo-dove or black dove (Turacoena modesta), also known as the slaty cuckoo dove, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Lesser Sunda Islands, being found on Timor, Wetar, Rote, and Atauro. It inhabits primary and secondary monsoon forest, eucalyptus forest, and woodlands. It is 38.5 cm (15.2 in) long on average and is mainly dark bluish-gray, lighter on the head and underparts and darker on the wings and tail. It has yellow orbital skin. The black cuckoo-dove feeds on fruit. It is listed as being near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in the IUCN Red List. It is threatened by habitat destruction and hunting. == Taxonomy and systematics == The black cuckoo-dove was first described as Columba modesta by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Temminck in 1835 based on a specimen from Timor. It was then moved to the genus Macropygia by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1844, before finally being moved to Turacoena in 1856. The name of the genus, Turacoena, is after the genus Turacus (now treated as a synonym of Tauraco) and the Ancient Greek word oinas, meaning pigeon. The specific name…