11 |
|
Bar-shouldered DoveAlternative names: "Mangrove-dove", "Pandanus Pigeon" Size: 27-30 cm Weight: 130 g (average) |
 |
Similar species |
|
SUBSECTIONS:
Classification
Distribution
Sightings
Photos
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
|
|
|
Taxonomy, classification |
See Bar-shouldered Dove
at Wikipedia 
.
|
|
Range, habitat, finding this species |
(for details refer to a field guide) |
Click here to display information on habitat,
range and finding this species
|
|
Sightings |
Bar-shouldered Doves, race "humeralis", have been spotted by us only occasionally 20 km south of Narrabri, NSW, first in 2005. Then spotted 20 km south-west of Narrabri in September 2006.
Click here to display more sighting
information
|
|
Photos |
Race "humeralis"
Near-frontal view of a Bar-shouldered Dove; photo courtesy of R. Druce
[Maules Creek, NSW, March 2012]
Lateral view of a Bar-shouldered Dove; photo courtesy of R. Druce
[Maules Creek, NSW, March 2012]
Near-dorsal view of a Bar-shouldered Dove; photo courtesy of R. Druce
[Maules Creek, NSW, March 2012]
Dorsal view of a Bar-shouldered Dove; photo courtesy of R. Druce
[Maules Creek, NSW, March 2012]
View from above of a Bar-shouldered Dove on the ground
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2009]
Lateral view of a Bar-shouldered Dove on the ground
[Deriah Forest, NSW, January 2009]
Now the other way round...
[Deriah Forest, NSW, January 2009]
Two Bar-shouldered Doves in a tree
Family of Bar-shouldered Doves preening
[Near Narrabri, NSW, March 2009]
Here an adult Bar-shouldered Dove (left), with some wing feathers
in disarray exhibiting their brown mid-section, and an immature
bird (right), with much paler colours
[Near Moree, NSW, April 2012]
This male Bar-shouldered Dove needed a good stretch: first the tail...
[Eulah Creek. NSW, October 2011]
... now seen stretching one of its wings
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]
 |
Twitcher's tip |
Out in nature, the two things that give away Bar-shouldered Doves when spotted are the unusual contrast between bright front and dark back and, when seen sitting in bright sunlight, their startlingly pink feet.
Bar-shouldered Dove out on a limb; here one can see the strong
colour contrast of light front vs. dark back that makes this type
of dove discernible from others at a glance
[Deriah Forest, NSW, January 2009]
Frontal view of a Bar-shouldered Dove; note the bright pink feet
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]
|
|
Breeding information |
| Breeding season: Jan - Dec | Eggs: 2 | Incubation period: 14 - 16 days | Fledging age: ca. 21 days |
Depending on geographic latitude and weather conditions, Bar-shouldered Doves can breed at any time of the year. In the south-eastern part of the Australian continent they breed primarily from November to January, in the tropical north from April to July. Like most other doves and pigeons, they can have more than one clutch per year.
| Nest building: Female & male | Incubation: Female & male | Dependent care: Female & male |
|
|
Nest |
"bungobittah", "malunna" = Nest [Aboriginal] |
| Type: Shallow basket | Material: Sticks, twigs | Height above ground: 1 - 4 m |
The nest shown below was found ontop of a dead branch that had fallen from a tree onto scrubby undergrowth, where it had lodged itself into branches about 2 m above the ground.
Level view of a well-camouflaged Bar-shouldered Dove nest
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, April 2013]
View from above into a Bar-shouldered Dove nest, with a hatchling
that is just 2-3 hours old and one remaining egg
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, April 2013]
Two days later - in the parents' absence - this photo was obtained,
showing that the second chick had also hatched
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, April 2013]
|
|
Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "nooluk" "pateena" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal] |
| Size: 28 x 21 mm | Colour: Shiny white | Shape: Oval |
Close-up view of a Bar-shouldered Dove hatchling
that is just 2-3 hours old and an egg
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, April 2013]
|
|
Behaviour |
The nest shown in the photos above would have gone unnoticed by us, if mum had not found it necessary to lure the photograher, who - unwittingly - was still about 5 m distant and moving in the wrong direction, away from its nest.
Bar-shouldered Dove using the "broken wing" decoy to distract
an intruder
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, April 2013]
Like all other doves and pigeons, Bar-shouldered Doves have the habit of lifting their wings for evaporative cooling.
Bar-shouldered Doves taking a shower under a garden sprinkler
(photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, March 2013]
|
|
Food, Diet |
| Adults: Seeds | Dependents: Regurgitated seeds | Water intake: Daily |
All pigeons and doves are strictly vegetarian. Bar-shouldered Doves are seed-eaters.
