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
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Zentrygon costaricensis
Plump ground-dwelling dove, quite bright and colorful compared with other quail-doves. Body is grayish, wings are rich brownish-purple, and nape is suffused with iridescent green. Like many quail-doves, face is whiter with dark mustache line, but note buffy forehead. Pinkish-red legs. Sexes alike. Prefers forests, usually on the ground unless flushed up into the lower levels of a tree. Like most quail-doves, often best seen by quietly walking along trails at dawn and dusk.
Blue-backed Parrot
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A bright green parrot with a large bill that is orange in males and horn-colored in females and juveniles. Endemic to lowland and foothill forests in the Philippines; now rare and localized due to habitat loss and trapping. Differs from Blue-naped Parrot in the absence of a pale tail tip and yellow underwings. Vocal, giving a loud nasal high-pitched “klee-oo” as well as “kew” and explosive “kyow” calls in flight. Often active and vocal at night.
Black-browed Babbler
Malacocincla perspicillata
A brownish babbler, with strong bill and distinctive facial pattern. Upperparts, belly and crown are reddish brown, black "mask" with short and distinctive patch between bill and eyes, pale gray throat, and darker gray chest with very faint streaking. Endemic to primary and secondary forest on the limestone karst to the east of Meratus range in Borneo, previously only known from one specimen from the 19th century before being rediscovered in 2020. Found singly or pairs, not known to join mixed flocks. Creeps around in vines and undergrowth near cliffs, gleaning on leaves and exploring crevices for food. Vocalizations are loud, consisting of a repeated series of chattering notes up and down "chi-po-pyu", often in duet, the other individual responding "pyok pyok pyok" monotonously during the second half of the song.
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