The Superb Fruit-Dove Has A Wonderful Mix Of Colors That Will Make You Fall In Love With It
The superb fruit-dove may be small, but its colors make it impossible to ignore. With orange, red, green, and purple feathers, it looks almost painted by hand.
Also known as the purple-crowned fruit dove, the superb fruit dove, or Ptilinopus superbus, is a medium-sized member of the Columbidae family. Males and females look very different, and that contrast is part of what makes the bird so striking.
From rainforest edges to mangroves and even some gardens, this colorful bird has a wide range and a few surprising habits. Read on.
A Superb fruit dove is a medium-sized bird, 8 to 10 inches long
The superb fruit dove prefers areas around the edges of rainforests, in mangroves, and alongside rivers and streams. However, it is not unusual to see them near plantations or urban gardens.
The superb fruit dove is a medium-sized bird, measuring 8 to 10 inches long. It primarily feeds on fruits and berries, with figs being its favorite food. They have a large gape, which allows them to swallow bulky items.
It is sexually dimorphic. Females and males have different color patterns.
Superb Fruit-Doves are arboreal - living entirely in trees
Superb fruit doves breed from September to January, building nests on tree branches that are 15 to 100 feet high. The female lays just one egg, and both parents incubate it.
Afterward, they continue to care for the chick together. The chick will fledge about seven days after hatching.
It primarily feeds on fruits and berries. Figs are its favorite food.
Superb Fruit-Doves are arboreal (living entirely in trees) and feed almost exclusively on fruit, mostly in large trees. This makes them difficult to spot, and their presence is most often revealed by the sound of fruit falling through the leaves and onto the forest floor below.
While this dove flits by, it’s hard not to think of the southern pudu, nicknamed the “Chilean mountain goat”.
The superb fruit dove is native to Australasia
The superb fruit dove prefers areas around the edges of rainforests and in mangroves.
They are difficult to spot because they spend most of their lives in high trees.
The females lay just one egg, and both parents take care of the offspring
Watch them on video:
Superb fruit doves' wings whistle when they fly, and their call is a steady coo-coo-coo-coo. They are not endangered; habitat loss is a primary threat, but they are still fairly widespread and common throughout their extensive range.
They mostly reside in one area but can be nomadic if food becomes scarce.
Want more feathered beauty? See the pigeon drama in these 20 elegant pigeon breeds.
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