Current view: Data table and detailed info
Taxonomic note
Previously (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) placed in the genus Alopecoenas and before that in the genus Gallicolumba but transferred to Pampusana on the grounds of the latter’s priority (Bruce et al. 2016). Probably most closely related to P. sanctaecrucis, and both have been included in a complex that also contains P. jobiensis, P. kubaryi, P. erythroptera and P. xanthonura, as well as P. salamonis; present species may be related, more distantly, to P. hoedtii, P. beccarii and P. canifrons. Type specimen was a bird from London Zoo of uncertain origin; some authorities have questioned designation of Samoa as type locality, suggesting Tonga as more probable origin, but limited series of specimens does not justify altering the designated locality, so birds from Fiji and Tonga are currently placed in subspecies vitiensis; under alternative arrangement, Samoan populations were placed in a separate subspecies samoensis. Birds in Wallis and Futuna Is sometimes placed in subspecies vitiensis (Gibbs et al. 2001). Alternatively, species sometimes treated as monotypic (Dickinson and Remsen 2013). Two Âsubspecies currently recognized.
Taxonomic source(s)
Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International. 2022. Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 7. Available at: https://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v7_Dec22.zip.
IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Red List history
| Migratory status |
not a migrant |
Forest dependency |
medium |
| Land-mass type |
|
Average mass |
- |
Population justification: This species is described as widely but patchily distributed (Gibbs et al. 2001, Pratt and Mittermeier 2016, O'Brien and Masibalavu 2017). In Fiji it has been described as scarce on the four larger islands, but common on small offshore islands such as Makodroga and Namenalala (Watling 2000, V. Masibalavu in litt. 2012) and in Tonga it has been described as common on the islands of Late and Fonualei (Butler 2013). In Samoa, where formerly thought to occur only on the island of Nu'utele, the species has now been recorded in many of the large forested areas and is more widespread than previously thought (M. O'Brien in litt. 2024). A very preliminary estimate in American Samoa (Ofu and Olosega) placed this population at 249 mature individuals (Kayano et al. 2019). The species appears to be no longer present on the island of Alofi, where it was recorded in 1985/86, but not on surveys in 2008, 2011 or 2014 (Thibault et al. 2015). The global population size has not been quantified, but it is thought likely to exceed 10,000 mature individuals overall (M. O'Brien in litt. 2024).
Trend justification: The population trend has not been quantified directly. In Samoa the species is more widespread than previously thought (M. O'Brien in litt. 2024) and there is currently no evidence for substantial declines within the past three generations. This species may be affected by habitat loss and degradation in some parts of its range as a result of development, agriculture and introduced species (ungulates and plants). However, it is not confined to mature forest and is also found in open and degraded habitats (Watling 2001, M. O'Brien in litt. 2024); as such, it is unlikely to be declining substantially as a result. Additionally, although remote sensing data are not available to estimate the rate of tree cover loss for the majority of its range (Global Forest Watch 2024, using data from Hansen et al. [2013] and methods disclosed therein), available data suggest the current rate is slow. Introduced mammalian predators are present throughout the range and depredation by cats, rats and mongoose may be ongoing threats (Steadman and Freifeld 1998, Watling 2001, A. Tye in litt. 2019, Kayano et al. 2019, USFWS 2020), though it appears to coexist with invasive species in much of its range. Invasive species have likely exacerbated widespread declines caused by extensive habitat loss in the past however, and may be responsible for the species' possible extirpation on Alofi (Steadman and Freifeld 1998, Watling 2001, Thibault et al. 2015). The species may also be subject to some hunting pressure, though in some parts of the range at least this is not considered a major threat (USFWS 2020). Precautionarily, the species is suspected to be in slow decline, though this is uncertain.
Country/territory distribution
Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Shy Ground Dove Pampusana stairi. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/shy-ground-dove-pampusana-stairi on 23/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/11/2024.
