canberrabirds

Diamond Dove

To: <>
Subject: Diamond Dove
From: "Philip Veerman" <>
Date: Sun, 6 Mar 2011 14:52:02 +1100
The 3 emails about this didn't mention this, but the Diamond Dove is a very common aviary species. If it is an escaped bird, then a Diamond Dove is very much more likely than a Peaceful Dove, which is not nearly so abundant in captivity. It could be a wild bird, but I'd suggest one alone is likely to be an escaped pet. Jack's mention of brown wings would indicate it as a female (males are grey). It is my experience that these birds in captivity are often scruffy looking, with damaged feathers. In contrast, wild Diamond Doves are usually quite neat in plumage.  Of course that is a generalisation and not definitive of either.
 
Philip
-----Original Message-----From: Jack & Andrea Holland [ Sent: Sunday, 6 March 2011 12:52 PM
To:      Subject: Fw: [canberrabirds] Diamond Dove

My apologies if my instructions have confused anyone.  If you get to the large dam (also double-bars there), proceed through the gate (ignore the No Entry sign) onto the fenceline in about 100 m, then straight down for about a km, until get right to the bottom corner.  It was flushed just around the corner at the end of the sandy bit, from under the paspalum, probably not typical habitat but no doubt about the species (it was very co-operative!).  Hadn’t it perched I would have had no idea, thought it was a pipit first with the very broad white edges to the tail, but it flew much differently.
 
Jack Holland
 
From: Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2011 9:00 AM      To: Subject: [canberrabirds] Diamond Dove
 
flushed off the track at the SW corner of the Narrabundah Hill former pine forest this morning round 8 am.  After flying about 50 m it then obligingly perched on a burnt stump, allowing an approach within 5 m.   Red eye, brown wings with fine white spots, and lack of scalloping on the upper breast separated it from the more likely Peaceful Dove.  First record for me in my local area, though it has been recorded in the past at Bibaringa, about 2 km away.
 
Park at the corner of Hindmarsh and Eucumbene Drives, then walk about 1.5 km down the S fenceline to the corner.  Lots of Diamond Firetail and Dusky Woodswallows near the large dam about 1/3 of the way down.
 
Jack Holland
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