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11

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove

(Ptilinopus regina)
Alternate name(s): "Rose-crowned Pigeon", "Pink-capped Fruit-Dove", "Swainson's Fruit-Dove"
Size: 22-24 cm
Weight: 105 g (average)
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "regina"

ADULT

MALE

Spectacular frontal view of a male Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove gobbling up a fruit (photo courtesy of C. Charles)
[Bli Bli, QLD, February 2012]

Near-frontal view of a male Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove; note the grey hindneck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale Forest Reserve, near Anstead, QLD, April 2017]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a male(?) Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tannum Sands, Gladstone, QLD, June 2021]

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female(?) Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Regional Park, near Anstead, QLD, May 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a female Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove; note the greenish hue on the hindneck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tannum Sands, Gladstone, QLD, June 2021]

Sex unknown

Ventral view of a Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, December 2017]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal/ventral view of a juvenile Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2017]

Lateral/ventral view of a juvenile Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2017]

Lateral/ventral view of a juvenile Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove looking backwards (photo courtesy B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2017]

Very unfortunate ventral view (classical "bum shot") of a (most likely immature) Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove roosting in a tree found serendipitously during a spot-lighting expedition
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, near Narrabri, NSW, October 2015]

Race "ewingii"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, July 2019]

Frontal/ventral view of a male Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Fogg Dam NR, NT, August 2013]

Near-frontal view of a male Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Holmes Junge Nature Park, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Near Lee Point, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Pair of Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves; female on the left, male partly hidden on the right
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Near Lee Point, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Near Lee Point, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Lateral view of a female Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2014]

Dorsal view of a Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Fogg Dam NR, NT, August 2013]

Sex unknown

Dorsal view of a Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove; note how when seen at this angle none of the colourful features of this species are visible and the sex cannot be determined (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Holmes Jungle Nature Park, Darwin, NT, February 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Male Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, left, with a juvenile bird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Near Lee Point, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Lateral view of a juvenile Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2014]

Lateral view of a juvenile Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Near Lee Point, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Feb Eggs: 1 Incubation period: ca. 12(?) days Fledging age: 11 - 12 days

The duration of the breeding season depends on geographical latitude.

Nest

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

Type: Rudimentary basket Material: Sticks, twigs Height above ground: ?

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove on its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, November 2020]

Look from below at/through a Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, November 2020]

The nestling shown in the photos below did not have flight yet and must have fallen out of the (flimsy stick) nest. The parents did not give up on the youngster and tended to it on a branch less than 2 metres off the ground.

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove protecting its nestling, which must have fallen out of the nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale Forest Reserve, near Anstead, QLD, April 2017]

Frontal view of a Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove nestling (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale Forest Reserve, near Anstead, QLD, April 2017]

Lateral view of a Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove nestling (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale Forest Reserve, near Anstead, QLD, April 2017]

Dorsal view of a Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove nestling (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Pullenvale Forest Reserve, near Anstead, QLD, April 2017]

Eggs

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

Size: 32 x 21 mm Colour: Glossy white Shape: Elliptical

Food, Diet

All pigeons and doves are strictly vegetarian. Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves are fruit-eaters.

Spectacular frontal view of a Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove gobbling up a fruit (photo courtesy of C. Charles)
[Bli Bli, QLD, February 2012]

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.

rcfdove_20160312.m4a regina
(SE QLD)
Contact call(?) © MD
rcfdove_20160312_2.m4a regina
(SE QLD)
Contact call(?) © MD
rcfdove_20160312_3.m4a regina
(SE QLD)
Contact call(?) © MD
rcfdove_me_20200927.m4a regina
(N QLD)
Contact call(?)
(+ Little Shrike-thrush)
© ME
rcfdove_20160314.m4a regina
(SE QLD)
? © MD
rcfdove_20160314_2.m4a regina
(SE QLD)
? © MD
rcfdove_20160314_2_NR.m4a regina
(SE QLD)
? (no bkgd) © MD

More Rose-crowned Fruit-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.