Banded Fruit Dove

 

Characteristics

The Banded Fruit Dove is 38-44cm in length as a full-grown adult. Juveniles are usually between 28-44cm in size. It takes about 2 weeks before a juvenile turns into an adult.  Males are larger than females. The Banded Fruit Dove can be distinguished by its colours, white, black and grey. They have feathery patterns.

 

 

Behaviour

Banded Fruit Doves can be very loving but vicious at the same time. They can be very good parents and love their babies tenderly. They get really angry and attack people or other animals when they come near their babies or food. The Banded Fruit Dove is also very social. They are not the type of birds who spend their time, high up in a tree, hiding. They tend to go out into the open and enjoy themselves. They are also very good hunters. They can find food very fast and usually they have to fight with other birds to own it. Since they can be very vicious, they usually win.

 

 

Diet

The Banded Fruit Dove is known to be an herbivore. It eats fruit from the forest trees, especially figs, and competes with other birds who want the same resources as it.

 

 

Predators

Things that can threaten the Banded Fruit Doves are fire and human beings. Living in monsoonal rainforests can be quite difficult as other animals, fire and even human beings can threaten their lifestyle. Fires will spread from time to time and destroy bird nests and homes. They can even kill several birds that get trapped in the heat. Humans can affect their diet by taking away the fruits Banded Fruit Doves eat from trees. The more they take them, the less the birds will be able to eat to survive.

 

 

Distribution and Abundance

The banded fruit dove is distributed in Bali, Sunda Islands and Australia, restricted to the western edge of Arnhem Land. The banded fruit dove is recorded to be in 31 out of 88 rainforest patches in Kakadu National Park at a density of up to 0.75 per hectare.

 

 

Habitat

 

The Banded Fruit Dove’s habitat is in patches of monsoonal rainforests.

 

 

 

Management

The Banded Fruit Dove is a native bird and its status on the IUCN is regarded as Least Concern. It is a protected species in the Northern Territory by Kakadu National Park. It is also a protected species in the whole of Australia, which is protected by the EPBC.