ANIMAL: Beautiful Fruit Dove Ptilinopus pulchellus Type of Animal: Pigeon/Dove Habitat: Forests Location(s): New Guinea & islands of Batanta, Waigeo, Salawati, & Misool in W Papua Appearance: Reddish/pink/crimson crown, whitish throat, greenish-yellow bill, purplish-red feet, blue-gray breast, yellowish orange belly, reddish purple patch between belly/breast, very colorful, both sexes look similar but male coloration richer/louder Food/Diet: Fruit, berries, vegetables, seeds, worms, insects Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos & wildlife centers Lifestyle: Flocks of 2-6 birds Additional Info: Called: Male: Cock Female: Hen Young: Squab Group: Flock Weight: Male: 2.47 oz Female: 2.29 oz Young: 0.28 oz Gestation: 2.5 weeks Life Span: 15 years Height: 7.5 in Body Length: 7.5 in Tail Length: 0.4 in Also called Crimson-Capped Fruit Dove & Rose-Fronted Pigeon. Like most fruit doves, they’re quite shy. Both parents incubate eggs. Due to diet, play important role in seed dispersal. Usually lays a single egg in fragile stick-leaf nest. Sexually mature at 6 months old. Squabs fledge at 8 days old & take 1st flight at 12-14 days. Courtship involves both sexes bowing & cooing but males do more cooing/calling. Male sits on branch next to female, puffs himself up, & stretches to make himself look bigger. Squab stays w/ parents for up to 6 months. Active during the day (diurnal). Sometimes displaced from fruiting trees by larger pigeons like Collared Imperial Pigeons. Fun Fact(s): Like many pigeon/dove species, they feed young crop milk. Milk said to contain more fat/protein than cow’s milk. Despite bright colors, it’s often very difficult to see. Wings functional before eyes even open. Like other pigeons/doves but unlike most birds, they can put entire bill into water, drinking by sucking in.
