| Summer 2006 |
~~~ International White Dove Society Online Magazine ~~~ |
Broader Horizons
I recently was privileged to visit Australia, and a highlight of my visit was hearing the loud booming coo of this dove echoing through the rainforest and then seeing the emerald green flash as it flew over the tree tops. We were in a tram that carried us above the forest so we were actually looking down on the bird as it flew and then disappeared into the trees. It epitomized the rainforest. I will always remember the call and treasure the glimpse of the Wompoo.
Doves & Pigeons of the World
WOMPOO FRUIT-DOVE
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The Wompoo feeds on succulent fruits found in the rainforest, including figs. They often form large feeding flocks when a food source is plentiful. Although it feeds mainly in the canopy, it is sometimes seen eating fallen fruit on the forest floor.
Sources:
Australian Museum Online |
The
Wompoo Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus) is a
common resident of rainforests in northeast Australia and there are three
populations that can be separated. It also is found in New Guinea.
The Wompoo is the largest of the tropical north Queensland fruit-doves and
is about 37 cm in length.
It is also one of the most beautiful of the doves, and has wonderful colorful plumage, including a
purple
throat, chest and breast, a very obvious yellow wing-bar, and a lot of
to green to bluish
tones over the back of the body. It actually blends very well into
the rainforest background and can be difficult to observe in the tall
canopy. But it has a loud call that is very distinctive and noisy
and can be heard about a half-mile away. It has
been descripbed as eerily human-like, or like this: "wollack-wa-hoo"
or an short "boo" or "bok-bok-oo" .