This very pretty dove is similar to the superb fruit dove but much smaller than the wompoo fruit dove. All three of Australia’s fruit doves are found in this rainforest and as frugivores, play a vital role in seed dispersal and rainforest regeneration. This dove makes a series of loud, long ‘whu-whoo’ calls, becoming faster and sounding monkey-like. The female has similar plumage to the male. She lays a single glossy white egg on a very flimsy dish of thin twigs. Both sexes share the raising of the chick.
(Illustration by Beryl Robertson)
Ptilinopus regina 22 - 24cm
More brilliant birds . . .
Yellow-throated scrubwren – Eastern yellow robin – Rufous fantail – Golden whistler – Eastern whipbird – Noisy pitta – Regent bowerbird – Emerald dove – Rose-crowned fruit dove – Green catbird – Paradise riflebird – Wompoo fruit-dove
