The rare Santa Cruz ground dove (Pampusana sanctaecrucis) is named after the Santa Cruz Islands, a group of islands in the southern Solomon Islands where the bird is natively found. It was threatened with extinction following a devastating volcanic eruption on Tinakula and also a poaching crisis. When startled by a predator, these rotund, short-legged birds prefer to run into the thick forest undergrowth to hide rather than take flight. Males and females ook completely different. Males have rich red-purple wings, a grey head, a maroon body, and a cream-colored chest. Females have a ruddy head and chest with an olive-green body and wings.
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