Rose-crowned Fruit Dove
Ptilinopus regina· 鸠鸽科(6 photos)
Rose-crowned Fruit Dove
20–25 cm. Gorgeous small foliage-dwelling pigeon with pink or rose-red cap separated by a yellow line from grey-textured head and neck. Often seen from below in rainforest when apricot–yellow underparts and yellow tail tip immediately identify it. Female: duller. Immature: mostly green with yellow margins to wing and tail feathers; yellow abdomen. Singles, pairs, parties: inconspicuous in foliage. Climbs after fruit; displays and skirmishes on exposed branches. Listen for calls, falling fruit, or quick, whistling flights. Sustained flight very swift, direct.
- Other Names
- Red-crowned Fruit-Dove, Fruit-Pigeon or Pigeon.
- Similar Species
- Superb Fruit-Dove: underparts patchy white-and-green; male has black breastband; female dark blue crown. Wompoo Fruit-Dove: purple breast cut off by yellow underparts; tail grey below, without yellow tip.
- Voice
- surprisingly loud, explosive: begins with a slow, repeated ‘hook-coo’; descends into a rapid, accelerating staccato ‘coo-coo-coo-coo’. Also swelling ‘OO!, uk-COO, uk-COO’.
- Habitat
- rainforests, vine-scrubs; adjacent eucalypt forests and woodlands; swamp woodlands, mangroves; berry or fruit-bearing trees in farms, gardens, public and private.
- Breeding
- Nov.–April.
- Nest
- frail platform of twigs, low in vines or other understorey vegetation; paperbark, etc., up to 8 m.
- Eggs
- 1; pure white, oval.
- Range & Status
- coastal nw., n. and e. Aust. and coastal islands, from c. Broome (WA) to Arnhem Land, e. to Pellew Group (NT), and from C. York Pen. (Q) s. to c. Hunter R. (NSW); casual s. coast NSW, s. Vic. and Tas. Fairly common; migratory, dispersive and nomadic.
- Distribution key to races
- 1. Ptilinopus regina regina 2. Ptilinopus regina ewingii
