Peaceful dove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peaceful dove |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Geopelia
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| Species: |
placida
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The peaceful dove (Geopelia placida) is a small pigeon. It lives in Australia and New Guinea. This bird is closely related to the zebra dove from Southeast Asia and the barred dove from eastern Indonesia. For a long time, these three birds were thought to be the same species.
Contents
What They Look Like
The peaceful dove is a small bird. It is about 19 to 21 centimeters (7.6 to 8.4 inches) long. Its chest is a pink-grey color. Its wings are grey-brown with a checkered pattern.
You can see thin black lines around its neck and the back of its head. These lines go down its back. The bird has greyish-white eyes. A blue-grey ring goes around its eye and connects to its beak.
Young peaceful doves are lighter in color. They have fewer black lines and a duller eye ring. The feathers on the back of their neck have lines, like the bar-shouldered dove. But the peaceful dove's throat feathers also have lines, which the bar-shouldered dove does not. Also, the peaceful dove's neck feathers are grey-brown, not bright copper like the bar-shouldered dove.
Peaceful doves make high-pitched sounds. They can sound like "doodle-doo," "co-co-coo," or "croorrr!"
Where They Live and What They Do
You can find peaceful doves alone, in pairs, or in groups. They often look for food on the ground. You might see them in streets and gardens. They also live in scrublands, woodlands, and near rivers. Sometimes, they are found in railyards or at the edge of rainforests. When they are not eating, they rest in trees.
These doves fly very fast. Their flight path goes up and down. When they fly, their wings make a quick "frrr" sound.
Reproduction
Peaceful doves build their nests on flat branches of trees. In southern Australia, they breed from October to January. In northern Australia, they breed from March to June. Each nest usually has two white eggs. When they are breeding, these doves can be very protective of their nests.
Where They Are Found
Peaceful doves live all over Australia. However, you won't find them in Tasmania, southern Victoria, or southwestern Australia. Their numbers are going down in some areas. This is because of competition with the spotted dove, which was brought to Australia. In New Guinea, they mostly live in the south. But they are also found in a few places in the north and on the Aru Islands.
Images for kids
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A peaceful dove in Cairns, Australia
See also
In Spanish: Paloma nival para niños
