Brown Cuckoo-Dove
Macropygia phasianella
Large brown pigeon with a long tail. Adult males have a green and purple iridescence on the head and neck. Common in rainforests where it is more often heard than seen. Feeds on fruits and seeds in forest trees, but is occasionally seen walking on the forest floor.
Identification
The brown cuckoo-dove is from 40 to 43 centimetres (16 to 17 in) in length. The feathers are a rich rusty-brown colour, and the short wings, long tail and back are darker. The males tend to have a slight rose/green colouration on their nape and neck.<p>The call of this dove is a very loud "whoop-a whoop" with some differences depending on the subspecies involved.<p>The brown cuckoo-dove inhabits rainforest, woodland, scrubland and rainforest regrowth areas.<p>The doves can often be seen in pairs or groups. Its diet consists of berries from both native plants and introduced weed species. They can be nomadic, depending on the supplies of food. They tend to fly short distances and low to the ground with great strength.<p>Breeding occurs in spring and summer. The nest is a flat platform of sticks and vines, either in a fork of a tree or on top of a low tree. One, creamy white, egg is laid.
Taxonomy
The brown cuckoo-dove was formally described in 1821 by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck from a specimen collected near Port Jackson in New South Wales, Australia. He coined the binomial name Columba phasianella. The specific name is a diminutive of the Latin phasianus, meaning "pheasant". The brown cuckoo-dove is now placed in the genus Macropygia, which was introduced by the English naturalist William John Swainson in 1837.<p>Three subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Macropygia phasianella
- Authority
- (Temminck, 1821)
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Family
- Columbidae
- Genus
- Macropygia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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