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11

Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps indica) Alternate name(s): Aboriginal name(s): "punkaree" Size: 23-27 cm Weight: 150-190 g

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Emerald Doves are medium-sized doves. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are slightly different. Male Emerald Doves have a white shoulder patch, while females have a grey one; otherwise the two sexes look identical. The head, neck, and front (throat, chest, belly) are purplish grey-brown. The body is mauve-brown; the wings are emerald-green and iridescent. The bill is orange, the eye ring brownish and the legs and feet dark-red. The back is barred dark and light grey, the tail is dark-grey. Juveniles are mottled black and brown, except the wings, which are mottled brown and emerald.

Taxonomy, classification See Emerald Dove at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range Emerald Doves are an Australasian species, with a range extending from India to South-East Australia. The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . There, the species has now been split in two and the definition of races is not consistent with those used by Pizzey & Knight, the definition which is adopted here. The global distribution of the "Pacific Emerald Dove, Chalcophaps longirostris", is available HERE . The range of the (Pacific) Emerald Dove extends from islands in eastern Indonesia, via Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea to Vanuatu, New Caledonia and parts of Australia. There are two races of Emerald Doves on the Australian continent. Race "rogersi" populates the East coast of the Australian continent, including the Torres Strait, from the tip of Cape York peninsula to about the NSW/VIC border. This race is also found on Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. Race "longirostris", which is endemic, occurs along a narrow coastal strip of the NT, including some offshore islands, and in a few spots on the WA North-West coast. They are not found anywhere far inland. Emerald Doves can be found in various types of dense forest, from rainforest to mangrove swamps (also on [tropical] offshore islands with dense vegetation).

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "longirostris" B. Hensen reports spotting Emerald Doves, race "longirostris", in Darwin, NT, in July 2012. H. Mouritsen reports spotting Emerald Doves, race "longirostris", in Kakadu NP in October 2015. Race "rogersi" Emerald Doves, race "rogersi", were observed by C. Kellenberg on Lord Howe Island in July 2010. A pair of Emerald Doves, race "rogersi", was spotted by us at Iluka NR, northern NSW, in February 2012. B. Hensen reports spotting Emerald Doves, race "rogersi", at Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, in July 2013. A. Ross-Taylor reports spotting Emerald Doves, race "rogersi", at O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, in November 2013. M. Mearns reports spotting an Emerald Doves, race "rogersi", at Iron Range NP, QLD, in October 2008, and on Norfolk Island in January 2008.

Photos

Race "longirostris"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal and lateral view of two male Emerald Doves; note the white shoulder patches (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, July 2012]

Lateral view of two male Emerald Doves; note the white shoulder patches (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, July 2012]

FEMALE

Dorsal view of an Emerald Dove; when viewed with different contrast settings this photo shows very inconspicuous bars on the rump, indicating that this may be a female (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, July 2012]

Race "rogersi"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Emerald Dove; note the white shoulder patch (photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg)
[Lord Howe Island, July 2010]

Near-frontal view of a male Emerald Dove (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Lateral view of a male Emerald Dove (photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg)
[Lord Howe Island, July 2010]

Lateral view of a male Emerald Dove (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Norfolk Island, January 2008]

Near-dorsal view of a male Emerald Dove (photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg)
[Lord Howe Island, July 2010]

FEMALE

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

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

Lateral view of a female Emerald Dove spreading its wings (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[O'Reilly's Plateau, Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2013]

Lateral view of a female Emerald Dove; note the grey shoulder patch (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]

Dark photo of an Emerald Dove in littoral rainforest
[Iluka NR, NSW, February 2012]

Food, Diet

All pigeons and doves are strictly vegetarian. Emerald Doves are seed- and fruit-eaters.

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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