Scientific Name: Chalcophaps indica
Malay Name: Punai-Tanah Biasa
Chinese Name: 绿翅金鸠
Alternative Name(s): Green-winged Pigeon
Range: Found from the Indian subcontinent to southern China, Southeast Asia and northern Australia
Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: indica, robinsoni, maxima, augusta, natalis, minima.
Local Subspecies: indica
Size: 23-27 cm
Identification: Male has blue-grey crown and nape, unmistakable metallic green mantle and wings with white shoulder-patch, white forehead and eyebrow and red bill. Female resembles male but has less grey on head and no white on wings. Juvenile has speckly brown mantle with very light greenish wash on wings.
Habitat: Forest, mangroves and coastal woodlands.
Behaviour/Ecology: Forages on the ground along trails under tree cover.
Local Status: Uncommon resident
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)
Location: Central Catchment Forest, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Bukit Batok Nature Park, Dairy Farm Nature Park, Sungei Buloh and Pulau Ubin.
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Asian Emerald Dove)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Chalcophaps indica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22725538A94895385.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Common Emerald Dove. Retrieved on July 17, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/common-emerald-dove.