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Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia phasianella) Alternate name(s): "Slender-billed Cuckoo-Dove", "Brown Pigeon", "Large-tailed Pigeon", "Pheasant Pigeon", "Brownie" Aboriginal name(s): Race "phasianella": "gabudjah", "gubudji" [eastern bundjalung]; Race "robinsoni": "judulu" [ngadjon] Size: 39-45 cm; wing span: ca. 60 cm Body mass: 150-240 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.50-0.70

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 Black-Banded Fruit-Dove Wompoo Fruit-Dove Superb Fruit Dove Rose-crowned Fruit Dove Pacific Emerald Dove Nicobar Pigeon 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

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Brown Cuckoo-Doves are tall, slender doves. While most doves and pigeons have stout shapes, the Brown Cuckoo-Dove is much slimmer, similar to a cuckoo - hence the name. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different, although the differences are minimal. Male Brown Cuckoo-Doves have an all brown plumage, where the wings, back and tail are darker brown than the head, neck and front. They also show some purple/green iridescence on the nape and sides of the neck. Female Brown Cuckoo-Doves, which show no iridescence, have some mottling around the throat and chest and a darker-brown crown, but are otherwise very similar to males. Juvenile Brown Cuckoo-Doves are similar to females, with fine black barring on the neck and upper chest and darker, mottled wings.

Taxonomy, classification See Brown Cuckoo-Dove at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information Brown Cuckoo-doves have now been given species status and are no longer considered to be conspecific with the Slender-billed Cuckoo-dove, Amboyna [Macropygia] amboinensis.

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 (Australian) Brown Cuckoo-Dove is available HERE . Brown Cuckoo-Doves are an Australasian species, with a range extending from eastern Indonesia and New Guinea to South-east Australia. There are three races of Brown Cuckoo-Doves in Australia, two of which ("phasianella" and "quinkan") are endemic. All three together inhabit a strip along the East coast of Australia, from the tip of Cape York peninsula in the North to about the NSW/VIC border in the South. Their range extends into the hills of the Great Dividing Range, but not into the interior of the continent. There are no Brown Cuckoo-Doves in Tasmania either. Of the three races of Brown Cuckoo-Doves, race "phasianella" is found from about the NSW/VIC border, along the South-East coast, to roughly Yeppoon, QLD. Further northward, race "robinsoni" is found, up to a line connecting Cooktown, QLD, and Edward River, QLD. Beyond that line, on parts of the tip of Cape York peninsula, race "quinkan" is present. Brown Cuckoo-Doves live in and around rainforest, but are also known to go into more open forest. Where to look? How to find this species? Brown Cuckoo-Doves often forage low to the ground or in mid-canopy in rainforest, and they also regularly go to ground to feed on fallen fruit. This makes it possible for birdwatchers to find them, e.g. on or near walking tracks, often in fruiting shrubs.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "phasianella" A Brown Cuckoo-Dove, race "phasianella", was first spotted by us 5 km East of Gloucester, NSW, in June 2009. Brown Cuckoo-Doves, race "phasianella", are quite common along the Australian East coast, where we and contributors have seen them regularly, e.g. at Dorrigo NP, NSW, Bongil Bongil NP, NSW, Raleigh, NSW, on the Maroochy River, near Coolum, QLD, and at O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD. They can also be found farther inland, in the Great Dividing Range, e.g. in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, QLD, at Bunya Mountains NP, QLD, in Ravensbourne NP, QLD, and in various National Parks in the QLD/NSW border region. B. Hensen reports finding Brown Cuckoo-Doves, race "phasianella", at St. Albans, NSW, in March 2018. M. Eaton found a pair of Brown Cuckoo-Doves, race "phasianella", nesting at Pullenvale, QLD, in September 2023. Race "robinsoni" M. Eaton reports finding Brown Cuckoo-Doves, race "robinsoni", at Julatten, QLD, in July 2018. A. Lee spotted Brown Cuckoo-Doves, race "robinsoni", at East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, in August 2019. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours found a Brown Cuckoo-Dove, race "robinsoni", at Lake Barrine, Atherton Tablelands, QLD, in August 2023.

Photos

Race "phasianella"

ADULT

PAIR

Dorsal view of a pair of Brown Cuckoo-Doves
Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
The female, on the left, lacks the purple hues visible in the male's plumage, most prominently on the hindneck.
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, March 2018]

Dorsal view of a pair of Brown Cuckoo-Doves, with the male on the right and the female on the left; the male is clearly going through a tail moult (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, March 2018]

MALE

Frontal view of a male Brown Cuckoo-Dove; note the purple hue (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cooroy, QLD, December 2017]

Frontal/ventral view of a male Brown Cuckoo-Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Creek Reservoir, QLD, February 2019]

Near-lateral view of a male Brown Cuckoo-Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale, QLD, October 2023]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a male Brown Cuckoo-Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Creek Reservoir, QLD, February 2019]

Lateral view of a male Brown Cuckoo-Dove looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hillview Court Reserve, Dayboro, QLD, May 2020]

Lateral view of a male Brown Cuckoo-Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Creek Reservoir, QLD, February 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male Brown Cuckoo-Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale, QLD, October 2023]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female(?) Brown Cuckoo-Dove looking at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[D'Aguilar NP, near Brisbane, QLD, January 2023]

Lateral view of a female Brown Cuckoo-Dove; when observed, the bird was picking up rests of fruit from the ground, possibly from scats of other birds
[Dorrigo NP, NSW, August 2009]

Dorsal view of a female Brown Cuckoo-Dove looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, October 2024]

Dorsal view of a female Brown Cuckoo-Dove
[Dorrigo NP, NSW, August 2009]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Brown Cuckoo-Dove - note the scalloping (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2013]

Lateral view of a juvenile Brown Cuckoo-Dove (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2013]

Lateral view of a juvenile Brown Cuckoo-Dove taking a fruit (photo courtesy of C. Charles)
[Near Coolum, Sunshine Coast, QLD, January 2013]

Lateral view of a juvenile Brown Cuckoo-Dove (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Raleigh, NSW, May 2013]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Brown Cuckoo-Dove (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2013]

Rescued juvenile Brown Cuckoo-Dove after an accidental run-in with farm machinery (photo courtesy of R. Oakes)
[Sunshine Coast hinterland, QLD, September 2015]

Race "robinsoni"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male(?) Brown Cuckoo-Dove; note the purple hue - the mottled appearance may indicate that the bird is moulting (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Julatten, QLD, July 2018]

Dorsal view of a male(?) Brown Cuckoo-Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Julatten, QLD, July 2018]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jun - Jan

Eggs: 2

Incubation period: 16 - 18 days

Fledging age: 16 days

The breeding season depends on geographic latitude and weather conditions. Like most other doves and pigeons, Brown Cuckoo-Doves can have more than one clutch per year.

Nest building: Female & male

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Rudimentary basket

Material: Sticks, vine tendrils

Height above ground: 1 - 4? m

Brown Cuckoo-Doves often nest in tree ferns or epiphytic ferns. As opposed to other species of pigeons and doves, which are known to build only flimsy nests, Brown Cuckoo-Doves were observed by M. Eaton in November 2023 to expend significant time and energy into building their nest. The female sat inside, while the male collected twigs. On his return, he always landed on the female's back, before dropping the new twig right in front of her head. When he left the nest again, she rearranged the position of the twig to her liking. Such behaviour is usually only observed in some species of herons and egrets.

Brown Cuckoo-Dove on its nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale, QLD, September 2023]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 35 x 24 mm

Colour: Shiny white

Shape: Oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: ?

Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Here some Brown Cuckoo-Dove TLC, with the male on the left and the female on the right; this is part of a bonding ritual (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, September 2016]

Two male Brown Cuckoo-Doves sparring (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, September 2016]

Food, Diet

Clsoe-up lateral view of a male Brown Cuckoo-Dove feasting on fruit (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Lake Barrine, Atherton Tablelands, QLD, October 2023]

Lateral view of a Brown Cuckoo-Dove taking a fruit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Julatten, QLD, July 2018]

Lateral view of a juvenile Brown Cuckoo-Dove taking a fruit (photo courtesy of C. Charles)
[Near Coolum, Sunshine Coast, QLD, January 2013]

Close-up lateral view of a male Brown Cuckoo-Dove approaching a waterhole (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale, QLD, October 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a male Brown Cuckoo-Dove having a drink of water (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale, QLD, October 2023]

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.

brcdove_20160311.m4a	phasianella (NE NSW)	Contact calls	© MD
brcdove_20160314.m4a	phasianella (S QLD)	Contact calls	© MD
brcdove_me_20231102.m4a	phasianella (SE QLD)	Contact calls	© ME
brcdove_art_20131125.mp3	phasianella (SE QLD)	Contact calls (Q&A?)	© ART
brcdove_me_20240613_2_noNR.m4a	quinkan (Far-N QLD)	Contact calls (+ Pacific Emerald Dove, others)	© ME
brcdove_me_20240613_2.m4a	quinkan (Far-N QLD)	Contact calls (+ Pacific Emerald Dove)	© ME

We have also recorded the wing beat of a Brown Cuckoo-Dove.

brcdove_20140521_2.mp3

phasianella (NE NSW)

Departure from ground

© MD

More Brown Cuckoo-Dove sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.