Smaragddue

History

This stunning dove is quite common but notoriously shy and secretive. Known also as the Green-Winged Dove colours can vary quite vastly between individual birds but they are well known for having burgundy red breasts and throat with a iridescent green wings. Both the male and the female dove have white foreheads, however the male more often than not will have a white patch on the shoulder which is indistinct in the female. Found mainly in parts of Australia and New Guinea not much is known about this bird in captivity. They are between 23 - 28cm long. They are often trapped and sold as cage birds, due to their colourful feathers.

The nest is made up of flimsy twigs and leaf litter and 1 - 2 eggs are laid. The female incubates the egg/s and it takes around 13 days for the young to hatch. They fledge at 12 - 14 days. They nest in dense forest, probably to protect themselves from discovery.

Behaviour

Emerald doves eat mainly fruit, so will travel long distances to follow cropping. They live in woodland, open areas and park land, as well as farmland, but require dense forest to nest.

Breed Details

• Status: Rare
• Life Expectancy: 10-15 year in captivity