Bar-shouldered Dove

Overview

The bar-shouldered dove (Geopelia humeralis) is a medium-sized pigeon native to Australia and Southern New Guinea. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and is protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.

Identification

• Varies in size from 26–30 cm with a blue-grey breast and chequered brown-bronze wings.
• Nape feathers are copper-coloured and striated, but the throat feathers are not striated.
• The eye ring tends to be grey but turns red-brown during breeding, while juveniles appear duller in colour.
• Emits a distinctive and melodious voice described as "cook-a-wook" or "coolicoo", and its wings whistle during direct and swift flight.

Habitat

Found throughout the east coast of Australia from southern New South Wales to Cape York Peninsula and west to the Pilbara region, as well as in Southern New Guinea. The species prefers thick vegetation where water is present, including damp gullies, forests, gorges, mangroves, plantations, swamps, eucalyptus woodlands, and river margins in both inland and coastal regions.

Diet

This dove forages on the ground and feeds primarily on seeds. It is commonly seen doing so in pairs, groups, or large loose flocks.

Did you know?

A bar-shouldered dove was found to be infected by Toxoplasma gondii, the agent of toxoplasmosis, in a French zoo.