DOVES AND PIGEONS

There are roughly 300 species of Pigeons and Doves found around the world and they are characterised by large rounded bodies, stocky necks and small heads. Their diets allow them to exist in most climates because the seeds and grains they eat are available almost everywhere.

Animals-birds-owlseagles-eagles-bald They vary considerably in size and appearance. Some species are relatively dull in colouration whilst others have brightly coloured, metallic-looking plumage and elaborate decorative crests.

We have over 10 species of Pigeons and Doves in the Zoo, including the largest species, the Victoria Crowned Pigeon and one of smallest species; the diamond Dove.

While many species of pigeons and doves have benefited from human activities and have increased their ranges, many other species have declined in numbers and some have become threatened or even succumbed to extinction. Among the ten species to have become extinct since 1600 (the conventional date for estimating modern extinctions) are two of the most famous extinct species, the dodo and the passenger pigeon.

BRONZE-WINGED PIGEON

The Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera),Native to Australia and one of the country’s most common pigeons.

CREAM-BREASTED FRUIT DOVE

The Cream-breasted Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus merrilli), is a dove species endemic to the Philippines.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

CRESTED PIGEON

The Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), is a bird found widely throughout mainland Australia. this is one of two Australian pigeon species that possess an erect crest.

DIAMOND DOVE

The diamond dove (Geopelia cuneata) is a bird resident in Australia.They are one of Australia’s smallest pigeons.

LUZON BLEEDING HEART PIGEON

The Luzon Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba luzonica).They get this name from a splash of vivid red colour at the centre of their white breasts.

PEACEFUL DOVE

The Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida), is native to Australia and New Guinea. The Peaceful Dove has a pink-grey breast with chequered grey-brown wings.

PIED IMPERIAL PIGEON

The Pied Imperial Pigeon (Ducula bicolor), is a relatively large, species of pigeon. It is mainly found on small islands and in coastal regions.

RED TURTLE DOVE

The Red Turtle Dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica), is a small dove which is a resident breeding bird in the tropics in the Indian subcontinent.

SCHEEPMAKER CROWNED PIGEON

The Scheepmakeri Crowned Pigeon (Goura scheepmakeri) is a large, terrestrial pigeon confined to southern lowland forests of New Guinea.

SPECKLED PIGEON

The Speckled Pigeon (Columba guinea), is a pigeon that is a resident breeding bird in much of Africa south of the Sahara.

TURTLE DOVE

The Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur), it can be recognised by its browner colour, and the black-and-white-striped patch on the side of its neck.

VICTORIA CROWNED PIGEON

The Victoria Crowned Pigeon (Goura victoria) is a large, bluish-grey pigeon with elegant blue lace-like crests, maroon breast and red iris.

WOOD PIGEON

The Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus). The wood pigeon is very easy identified by the white spot on both sides of its neck.