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Bar-shouldered DoveAlternate name(s): "Mangrove-dove", "Pandanus Pigeon" Size: 27-30 cm Weight: 110-150 g |
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Description
Classification
Distribution
Sightings
Photos
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
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 Click here for a physical description
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
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Click here for sighting information
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Photos |
Race "humeralis"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Close-up frontal view of a pair of Bar-shouldered Doves
(photo courtesy of T. Lawrence)
[Cairns, QLD, September 2006]
The sex of the birds shown below was determined based on their behaviour, not by their appearance.
Partly obscured near-frontal view of a male Bar-shouldered Dove
[Eulah Creek. NSW, March 2019]
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]
Dorsal view of a male Bar-shouldered Dove fanning its tail to
impress a female; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 18
November 2015
[Near Narrabri, NSW, November 2015]
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FEMALE |
Frontal view of a female Bar-shouldered Dove
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2019]
Sex unknown |
Close-up frontal view of a Bar-shouldered Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Anstead, QLD, April 2017]
Frontal view from above of a Bar-shouldered Dove on the ground
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2009]
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 M. Eaton)
[Wynnum, QLD, December 2017]
Lateral view of a Bar-shouldered Dove; this is the bird whose
calls were
recorded on 27 November 2014
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
15 km East of Narrabri, NSW, November 2014]
Lateral view of a Bar-shouldered Dove on the ground
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, January 2009]
Now the other way round...
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, January 2009]
Bar-shouldered Dove in brilliant sunlight
[Leard State Forest, NSW, May 2014]
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]
Close-up dorsal view of two Bar-shouldered Doves
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cheetham Salt Works, Port Alma Road, near Rockhampton, QLD, April 2021]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Here an adult Bar-shouldered Dove, left, with some wing feathers
in disarray exhibiting their brown mid-section, and a juvenile
bird, right, with much paler colours
[Near Moree, NSW, April 2012]
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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.
Frontal view of a Bar-shouldered Dove; note the pink feet
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]
Lateral view of a Bar-shouldered Dove; note the pink feet
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, March 2018]
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; note also the pink feet
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, January 2009]
Race "inexpectata"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a male Bar-shouldered Dove displaying for
its partner; note the prominent, blood-infused orbital skin
and also the pink feet (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, November 2017]
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FEMALE |
Lateral/ventral view of a female Bar-shouldered Dove; the sex
was determined by its reaction to the cooing male shown above
- however, note the much less prominent orbital skin and
the grey legs and feet, which also contrast with the male's
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, November 2017]
Sex unknown |
Close-up frontal view of a Bar-shouldered Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, June 2023]
Close-up near-lateral view of a Bar-shouldered Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, June 2023]
Near-lateral view of a Bar-shouldered Dove
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nakara, Darwin, NT, May 2020]
Close-up near-lateral view of a Bar-shouldered Dove
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]
Close-up lateral view of a Bar-shouldered Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, June 2023]
Lateral view of a Bar-shouldered Dove (photo courtesy of K. Ohlsen)
[Acacia Hills, NT, August 2017]
Lateral view of a Bar-shouldered Dove, showing its excellent camouflage
in litter on the ground (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, September 2017]
Lateral view of a pair of Bar-shouldered Doves (photo courtesy
of J. Greaves)
[Broome Bird Observatory, Broome, WA, April 2015]
Near-dorsal view of a Bar-shouldered Dove (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, September 2017]
Direct comparison of the size of a Bar-shouldered Dove with a
Spangled Drongo
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, April 2017]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of a juvenile Bar-shouldered Dove; note the dull
colours and the indistinct transition of colours on the front
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]
Frontal/ventral view of a moulting(?) juvenile Bar-shouldered Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, July 2020]
Lateral/ventral view of a moulting(?) juvenile Bar-shouldered Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, July 2020]
Near-frontal view of two fledgling Bar-shouldered Doves hiding
between irrigation pipes while waiting to be fed
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nakara, Darwin, NT, April 2020]
Near-lateral view of a fledgling Bar-shouldered Dove
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nakara, Darwin, NT, April 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a fledgling Bar-shouldered Dove
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nakara, Darwin, NT, May 2021]
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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 |
Pair of Bar-shouldered Doves working on the next generation
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, July 2020]
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
| Type: Rudimentary 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.
Bar-shouldered Dove on its nest with two chicks; note the adult
bird's pink-grey orbital skin
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, May 2023]
Bar-shouldered Dove nest with two chicks
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, May 2023]
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]
Bar-shouldered Dove nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]
Near-lateral view of a Bar-shouldered Dove
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nakara, Darwin, NT, May 2020]
Bar-shouldered Dove on its nest in a dense shrub
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]
Lateral view of a Bar-shouldered Dove in its nest on a palm frond
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nakara, Darwin, NT, July 2021]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
| Size: 28 x 21 mm | Colour: Shiny white | Shape: Oval |
Close-up view of a Bar-shouldered Dove nest with a full complement
of 2 eggs in it (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]
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]
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Behaviour |
| Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive | Elementary unit: Pair/covey |
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]
Bar-shouldered Doves taking a shower under a garden sprinkler
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nakara, Darwin, NT, October 2019]
We have noticed that in the tropical North of the Australian continent Bar-shouldered Doves hang out a lot more with Peaceful Doves than in the SE of the continent.
Bar-shouldered Doves foraging together with Peaceful Doves
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]
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Food, Diet |
| Adults: Seeds | Dependents: Regurgitated seeds | Water intake: Daily |
All pigeons and doves are strictly vegetarian. Bar-shouldered Doves are seed-eaters.
Bar-shouldered Doves at a waterhole
[Killarney SCA,
NSW, November 2019]
Bar-shouldered Dove approaching a waterhole
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
near Narrabri, NSW, October 2018]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement 
are welcome.
Doves and pigeons do not, like other birds, open their bills when calling, but they rather "hum" through their noses, with the bill closed.
| bardove_20210112_4.m4a |
humeralis (NW NSW) |
Contact calls (male) | © MD | |
| bardove_20190312.m4a |
humeralis (NW NSW) |
Contact calls (male) | © MD | |
| bardove_20210112.m4a |
humeralis (NW NSW) |
Contact calls (male) | © MD | |
| bardove_20190206.m4a |
humeralis (NW NSW) |
Contact call | © MD | |
| bardove_20190206_2.m4a |
humeralis (NW NSW) |
Contact calls (Q&A) | © MD | |
| bardove_20170817.m4a |
humeralis (NW NSW) |
Contact calls (slow) | © MD | |
| bardove_20170831.m4a |
humeralis (NW NSW) |
(Partial) contact call | © MD | |
| bardove_20170831_2.m4a |
humeralis (NW NSW) |
(Partial) contact calls | © MD | |
| bardove_20210112_3.m4a |
humeralis (NW NSW) |
Male calling female? | © MD | |
| bardove_art_20131217.m4a |
humeralis (SE QLD) |
Male calling female? | © ART | |
| bardove_20210112_2.m4a |
humeralis (NW NSW) |
Various (male) | © MD | |
| bardove_20140818_2.m4a |
inexpectata (Darwin, NT) |
Contact call | © MD | |
| bardove_20140816.m4a |
inexpectata (Darwin, NT) |
Contact calls | © MD | |
| bardove_20140818.m4a |
inexpectata (Darwin, NT) |
Contact calls (Q&A) | © MD | |
| bardove_20140820.m4a |
inexpectata (Darwin, NT) |
Contact calls (Q&A) | © MD |
More Bar-shouldered Dove sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.