Brown Cuckoo-Dove
Doves and pigeons make frail nests out of sticks and other debris, which they hang from tree branches, ledges, or the ground, depending on the species. They lay one or (typically) two white eggs at a time, and the young are cared for by both parents until they leave the nest after 25–32 days. Unlike most birds, both sexes of doves and pigeons produce “crop milk” to feed to their young.
The Brown Cuckoo-Dove is a large brown pigeon with a long, tapering tail that lives in rainforests. A pale streak and a red eye-ring can be seen beneath the blue-grey eye. Because of its long tail, it was once known as the ‘Pheasant-tailed Pigeon,’ which is sometimes used as a counterbalance or a support when foraging in the treetops, especially when hanging upside down or performing another acrobatic maneuver to reach a distant fruit or berry.