11 |
|
Peaceful DoveAlternate name(s): "Ground-dove", "Doo-doo", "Zebra Dove"  Aboriginal name(s): Race "placida":
"gunggan.gan"/"gungangan" [eastern bundjalung];
"gurrugu" [ngadjon]Size: 20-24 cm Weight: 38-66 g |
 |
Similar |
|
Description
Classification
Distribution
Sightings
Photos
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
|
|
 Click here for a physical description
|
|
||||||
|
Click here for information on habitat
and range
|
Click here for sighting information
|
|
|
Photos |
Race "placida"
 |
ADULT |
The difference between male and female is most easily determined by behaviour, rather than appearance
 |
MALE |
Near-frontal view of a male Peaceful Dove trying to impress a female
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2013]
Lateral view of a male Peaceful Dove
cooing
for a female
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2022]
Near-dorsal view of a male Peaceful Dove trying to impress a female
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2022]
 |
PAIR |
Frontal view of a pair of Peaceful Doves; the male is seen on the
left, the female on the right
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2011]
As other doves and pigeons,
Peaceful Doves are visibly affectionate with their partners; here
is him (left) moving up to her (right)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2013]
While resting on our lawn, Peaceful Doves can be hard to spot
(to set the scale: the green thing in the background is a 12-mm
garden hose)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2012]
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of a Peaceful Dove looking sideways
[Maules Creek, NSW, July 2011]
Frontal view of a Peaceful Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]
Near-frontal view of Peaceful Dove
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2011]
Near-frontal view of a Peaceful Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]
Near-lateral view of a Peaceful Dove
(photo courtesy of R. Druce)
Near-lateral view of a Peaceful Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]
Lateral view of a Peaceful Dove perched low near a
waterhole
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, March 2009]
Lateral view of a Peaceful Dove on red soil
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Broome, WA, April 2015]
Lateral view of a Peaceful Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]
Lateral view of a Peaceful Dove
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, July 2018]
Lateral view of a Peaceful Dove
[Maules Creek, NSW, July 2011]
Near-dorsal view of a Peaceful Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]
Near-dorsal view of Peaceful Dove
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Dorsal view of a Peaceful Dove that has just been preening
[Maules Creek, NSW, July 2011]
Dorsal view of a Peaceful Dove
(photo courtesy of R. Druce)
"Mystery dove" - Peaceful Doves are swift fliers and hard to catch on camera while in the air (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
Size comparison between a Peaceful Dove and a Crested Pigeon
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2012]
Comparison of a Peaceful Dove, left, with a male
Diamond Dove
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2020]
Peaceful Dove in comparison with a
Double-barred Finch
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2019]
 |
IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Close-up frontal view of a juvenile Peaceful Dove; note the faint
blue-grey (rather than blue) orbital skin and the dark iris
[Pilliga NP,
NSW, May 2021]
Near-frontal view of a juvenile Peaceful Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]
Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Peaceful Dove
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2012]
Lateral view of a juvenile Peaceful Dove
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, April 2021]
Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Peaceful Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]
Lateral/ventral view of fledgling Peaceful Doves
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2008]
Race "clelandi"
|
|
IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Juvenile Peaceful Dove that has found a temporary resting place
on the bonnet of a vehicle
(photo courtesy of M. Pears)
[Exmouth, WA, May 2021]
|
|
Breeding information |
| Breeding season: Sep - Feb | Eggs: 2 | Incubation period: 15 - 17 days | Fledging age: ca. 12 days |
| Nest building: ? | Incubation: Female & male | Dependent care: Female & male |
Depending on geographic latitude and weather conditions, Peaceful Doves can breed at any time of the year. In the south-eastern part of the Australian continent they breed primarily from September to February, in the tropical north from April to August. 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 Peaceful Doves working on the next generation
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2019]
|
|
Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
| Type: Rudimentary basket | Material: Sticks, twigs | Height above ground: 1 - 10 m |
Close-up frontal view of a Peaceful Dove on its nest
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Forest Gardens, Cairns, QLD, October 2019]
Peaceful Doves on their nest, which was found in a depression
on a major branch of a dead tree protruding over a dirt road
[Near Pine Creek, NT, August 2014]
Peaceful Dove on its nest in a depression on a dead tree branch
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[McMinns Lagoon, NT, January 2019]
Peaceful Dove on its nest in a depression on a dead tree branch
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[McMinns Lagoon, NT, January 2019]
After tropical storms nesting space is at a premium, which
makes bird take risks like putting nests on palm fronds...
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nakara, Darwin, NT, May 2019]
... but it looks as if these two Peaceful Dove chicks
were going to make it
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nakara, Darwin, NT, May 2019]
Peaceful Dove nest in the fork of a major branch in a Cypress pine tree
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
15 km East of Narrabri, NSW, November 2014]
Pair of Peaceful Doves at their nest; the female is incubating,
with the male in attendance (on the right)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2014]
Close-up look at mum Peaceful Dove at work
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2014]
In the following days this developed into the female's favourite
sitting position (facing the other way)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2014]
Peaceful Dove nest with two bald, blind hatchlings inside
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2014]
At 8 days old, the Peaceful Dove chicks look well-developed
(one is hiding under mum's wing)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2014]
At 10 days old, when mum took a comfort break, we finally got a chance
to see both little rascals - two Peaceful Dove chicks; both fledged
two days later, aged 12 days
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2014]
Apparently having decided that this was good fun, the same pair of Peaceful Doves had another go at it 40 days after laying the first egg of the first brood, but the second brood failed.
Same palm tree, presumably same pair of Peaceful Doves, one year later
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2015]
|
|
Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
| Size: 21 x 17 mm | Colour: White | Shape: Oval |
With the incubating bird off the nest, one can sometimes see
an egg through the flimsy construction
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[McMinns Lagoon, NT, January 2019]
Seen from this side the Peaceful Dove egg still looks almost round;
it has a very small axial ratio of 1.235
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2014]
The photos above of the Peaceful Dove egg were taken with a flash;
this shot gives a better impression of the true light conditions
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2014]
A day later there were two Peaceful Dove eggs in the nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2014]
Same palm tree, presumably same pair of Peaceful Doves, different
nest, one year later - again there are two eggs
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2015]
Second attempt in the 2015/16 breeding season, now in a bottlebrush tree - again there are
two eggs in the nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]
|
|
Behaviour |
| Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Dispersive | Elementary unit: Pair/covey |
Being seedeaters, Peaceful Doves are often found foraging on the ground in groups. Astonishingly, they sometimes also rest on the ground, in open, exposed areas.
Below a pair seen basking in the sun, one lifting a wing at the same time, reminiscent of the way chickens use their wings to cool their bodies by means of evaporating moisture under their wings. However, the birds in the photo below were seen on a relatively cool (27-28 C) day.
Peaceful Doves basking in the sun, one lifting a wing
exposing the underside to sunlight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2008]
Dorsal view of a Peaceful Dove resting in exposed
grassland
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2013]
We have noticed that in the tropical North of the Australian continent Peaceful Doves hang out a lot more with Bar-shouldered Doves (race "inexpectata") than in the SE of the continent.
Peaceful Doves foraging together with Bar-shouldered Doves
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]
Group of 7 Peaceful Doves
grassland
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2020]
|
|
Food, Diet |
| Adults: Seeds | Dependents: Regurgitated seeds | Water intake: Daily |
All pigeons and doves are strictly vegetarian. Peaceful Doves are seed-eaters.
Peaceful Dove foraging in grass
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2011]
This male Diamond Dove
and female Peaceful Dove were observed foraging together in grassland
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2013]
Like other species of doves and
pigeons, Peaceful Dove seem to be able to find seeds in the most
unlikely places
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2014]
Peaceful Doves
drinking water together with
Diamond Doves
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]
Peaceful Dove
drinking water together with
Diamond Doves
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]
Peaceful Dove
drinking water together with a
Diamond Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]
Peaceful Dove drinking from a
rock pool in a
creek bed
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, April 2013]
Peaceful Dove coming in for a drink from a puddle
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, 2007]
Peaceful Dove taking water from a bowl
(photo courtesy of A. Campbell)
[Mount McEuen, QLD, July 2017]
Peaceful Doves and
Double-barred Finch
at a man-made waterhole
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2019]
|
|
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.
| pcedove_20200302_3.m4a |
placida (NW NSW) |
Contact calls | © MD | |
| pcedove_20150119_2.mp3 |
placida (NW NSW) |
Contact calls | © MD | |
| pcedove_20150119_4.mp3 |
placida (NW NSW) |
Contact calls | © MD | |
| pcedove_20181127.m4a |
placida (NW NSW) |
Arrival & cooing(?) (male) | © MD | |
| pcedove_20200302.m4a |
placida (NW NSW) |
Cooing male(?) | © MD | |
| pcedove_20190227.m4a |
placida (NW NSW) |
Competing males? | © MD | |
| pcedove_20191127.m4a |
placida (NW NSW) |
Various (two pairs) | © MD | |
| pcedove_20200302_2.m4a | (NW NSW) | Various; interacting with Diamond Dove | © MD | |
| diadove_20200220_3.m4a | (NW NSW) | Interacting with Diamond Dove | © MD |
We have also recorded Peaceful Dove wing beats.
| pcedove_20191127_1.m4a |
placida (NW NSW) |
Perch to perch | © MD | |
| diadove_20200619.m4a | (NW NSW) | Mixed flock with Diamond Doves alighting | © MD |
More Peaceful Dove sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.