Pied cuckoo-dove

The pied cuckoo-dove (Reinwardtoena browni) is a species of bird in the pigeon family, Columbidae. First described by English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1877, it is endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago, where it mainly inhabits lowland and hill forests at elevations of up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It is a large, distinctive pigeon, with a length of 40–46 cm (16–18 in) and a weight of 279–325 g (9.8–11.5 oz). Adults are mainly black and white. The heads and underparts are whitish, while the wings, tails, and upperparts are black. Both sexes look alike. Juveniles are mainly sooty-grey in colour.

The species is usually seen alone or in pairs and usually rather hard-to-find. It feeds on fruit. The only known nest was found in May 1930 and was a simple structure made of twigs on rocky terrain near a stream and contained a single white egg. The dove's population is estimated to number 15,000–30,000 total birds; it is listed as being near threatened on the IUCN Red List due to a decline in its population caused by deforestation in the lowland forests it inhabits. Some studies have found that the species is moderately tolerant of habitat degradation and have suggested that it be categorised as being of least concern.

The pied cuckoo-dove is a large and long-tailed pigeon, with a length of 40–46 cm (16–18 in) and a weight of 279–325 g (9.8–11.5 oz). The forehead and face are greyish-white, changing to silvery-grey towards the top of the head and hindneck. The neck is paler silvery-grey, darkest where it meets the upper back. The upper back, back, rump, tail, and wings are all blackish, with the wings and central tail feathers being a glossy blue-black. The rectrices are patterned with grey, and the outer three tail feathers have a somewhat indistinct grey band across the middle. The underparts are white from the throat to the belly, turning dark bluish-grey towards the undertail-coverts and flanks. The iris is red or yellow, and the bill is grey or brown with a reddish base. The feet are dark red. Adults of both sexes look alike. Juveniles are mainly sooty-grey in colour, with no hints of warm brown in their plumage.

Due to its distinctive black-and-white colouration, this species is unlikely to be confused with any other pigeons that share its range, but is very similar to the closely related great cuckoo-dove. It differs from that species in its shorter tail and the absence of chestnut-brown in its plumage.

The species's advertising call is a far-carrying series of notes; it starts with a short note, then has a long mournful note rising in pitch, and ends with two low-pitched notes, the second of which is the deepest in the call.