FAUNA - Rescuing, caring for and rehabilitating orphaned, sick or injured native wildlife in South East (SE) Queensland, Australia

BROWN CUCKOO-DOVE

Other Common Names: Brown pigeon, pheasant pigeon, cockoo dove.

Size: Length – 430mm

Identification: The brown cuckoo-dove has a rich rusty-brown body, very long tail and short wings.

Call/Song: Makes a penetrating whoop-a whoop as a contact call.

Distribution: Found in all rainforest in Lamington. It is often found feeding on wild tobacco thickets when in seed. It is common around both O’reillys Guesthouse and Binna Burra Lodge. Located across eastern Australia.

Habitat: Lives in rainforest, scrubs and rainforest regrowth areas.

Feeding: Eats berries from both native plants and introduced weed species.

Breeding/Nesting: Builds a flat platform nest of fine sticks and vines in either a fork of a tree or on top of a low tree.

Movement: Although this bird can be found deep in rainforests, it prefers to dwell in open places with low vegetation. It seldom travels far and usually flies fairly low to the ground.

Abundance: A common species that is locally nomadic according to food supply. The most common pigeon in the rainforest except for times when the Topknot Pigeon arrives in large numbers.