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Banded Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus alligator) Alternate name(s): "Black-banded Fruit-Dove" Size: 38-44 cm Weight: 450-570 g

Australia: Family Group 11 Family Group 11 Table White-headed Pigeon Pied Imperial Pigeon Topknot Pigeon Crested Pigeon Spinifex Pigeon Flock Bronzewing Common Bronzewing Brush Bronzewing Squatter Pigeon Partridge Pigeon White-quilled Rock-Pigeon Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeon Banded Fruit-Dove Wompoo Fruit-Dove Superb Fruit Dove Rose-crowned Fruit Dove Emerald Dove Brown Cuckoo-Dove Wonga Pigeon Peaceful Dove Diamond Dove Bar-shouldered Dove Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Banded Fruit-Doves are big pigeons. Their plumage is almost all black-and white. The head, neck and upper chest are white, ending in a black band across the lower chest that connects with the slate-grey back and wings. Only the rump and the tip of the uppertail are white. From the black chest band, the lower half of the underparts shows various graduations of grey, from dark near the chest band to light-grey on the undertail coverts. The bill is yellowish, the irises are reddish-brown, while the legs and feet are dark greyish-pink. Juveniles have less colour contrast than adults, some scalloping on the dark upperparts, a grey bill and dark irises. Twitcher's tip Compared to Torresian Imperial-Pigeon, the Banded Fruit-Dove shows a lot more black in its plumage.

Taxonomy, classification See Banded Fruit-Dove at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Banded Fruit-Dove is available HERE . Banded Fruit-Doves endemic to the Arnhem Land Plateau in the interior of the Top End of the NT, with a limited range extending from Kakadu NP to West Arnhemland. Banded Fruit-Doves specialize in living along sandstone escarpments, searching for fruit, in particular native figs, in monsoonal forest and riparian vegetation along creek beds.

Sightings Click here for sighting information M. Eaton found Banded Fruit-Doves at Nourlangie, Kakadu NP, NT, in July 2020. P. Brown reports spotting a Banded Fruit-Dove at Ubirr, Kakadu NP, NT, in July 2020.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of an adult Banded Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Near-lateral view of a Banded Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a Banded Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Partly obscured near-dorsal view of a Banded Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Kakadu NP, NT, November 2020]

Food, Diet

Lateral view of a Banded Fruit-Dove taking a fruit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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