The most remarkable species of doves is the superb fruit-dove. Not only is it a sight to behold, but it is quite docile and is easy to care for. You can find this stunning bird not only in private collections, but in zoos and public aviaries.
The superb fruit-dove is a native of Australia and is a comparatively small bird. He is only about 10 inches long. This bird is difficult to find in the wild in its native habitat of rain forests of eucalyptus. It was long thought that this species was a rare find, but because of its secretive behavior, this theory has been proven false.
The superb fruit-dove likes to hang out in the higher regions of different fruit bearing trees in the closed-canopy of the mature rain forest. Many times the only hint of their presence is their droppings full of fruit on the floor of the forest. Even though this bird is brilliantly colored and quite distinctive in appearance, it can be quite difficult to detect in its native habitat. It has a unique cooing that can give away its location though.
An avid forager of fig bearing trees, the superb fruit-dove is a sprightly forager. It has been seen crawling like a mouse through the thick foliage and has been spotted hanging upside down in order to get at the fruit hanging from precarious branches.
These birds don’t often live in flocks; they prefer to live in pairs or as single. They make their nests in small trees that have thick vines. Their nests aren’t very sturdy being made up of a few heaps of twigs. The pair makes up for their poor nest building skills by almost never leaving the nest unattended. A superb fruit-dove clutch consists of only one white egg. The hen will incubate her egg for 16-19 days. Chicks mature quickly and have been found…… to fledge at about 12 days. When the chicks reach 24 days, they are the same size as their parents and their adult feathers come in at 15 weeks.
If you are considering adding superb fruit-doves to your aviary, you should be aware that these birds are very sensitive to temperature and environmental change. Extreme heat or cold can negatively affect your birds. You will need to keep an eye out for any shivering or a droopy appearance or feather fluffing. It is thought that these sensitive birds can be early warning signs of any type of potential environmental danger.
To ensure the captive fruit-dove is receiving the proper nutrition, you should feed your bird a diet that is made up mostly of fresh fruits. They like figs of course, peaches, watermelon, berries, melon and apples to name just a few of the fruits that your superb fruit dove will enjoy. They don’t usually forage on the ground so feed your birds from a container that is set higher up. Remember they are not parrots, so will not be able to lift their food to their mouth. Be sure that the food and water bowls are easily accessible, and you should have a quiet bird that calms frazzled nerves with its peaceful sounding coos.
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