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Pink-headed fruit dove

Ptilinopus porphyreus

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IUCN Conservation Status –
Least Concern
Extinct In The Wild
Class: Birds
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae

You can find this colourful bird in our Gems of the Jungle exhibit.

The pink-headed fruit dove is endemic to Indonesia where it occurs in the mountain forests of Sumatra, Java and Bali.

They feed on figs, small fruit and berries in the upper canopy of the forest, where they’re well-camouflaged amongst the green foliage.

Interesting facts!

  • The dove is a shy species, generally seen singly or in pairs, but flocks of up to 15-20 birds may form at favoured fruit trees.
  • The species builds a flimsy nest in a tree and lays one or sometimes two white eggs which are incubated for 20 days to hatching, with a further 15–16 days to fledging.
  • The male has a bright pink-purplish head and throat, bordered below with a white band outlined in greenish black, with some green, grey and yellow across the rest of the body. Females are similar but much duller in colour.

Conservation

The pink-headed fruit dove is evaluated as Least Concern and is not yet thought to be highly threatened.