Other Names (World)
Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Large Brown Cuckoo-dove, Pheasant Pigeon(!), Brown Pigeon, Pheasant-tailed Pigeon, Cuckoo-Dove, Long-tailed Pigeon, Brownie
Common. Abundant in some northern areas to scarce in the south-east. Locally, seasonally migratory or nomadic.
Habitat
Rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest, usually at the edges, in understorey along creeks or rivers, or secondary regrowth in clearings and along roads.
Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia phasianella) [XC233918]
by Krzysztof Deoniziak from Dharug National Park (near Gunderman), New South Wales, Australia (call)
Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia phasianella) [XC139537]
by Marc Anderson from Cassowary House, Kuranda, Queensland, Australia, Australia (call)
Breeding Season (Guide)
October - December in most parts, but varies.
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Nest
A platform composed of sticks, varying from scanty to substantial, usually within 10 meters of the ground.
Eggs (Guide)
1; smooth, dull creamy white; ellipsoidal; about 35 x 24 mm. Incubation: 16 - 18 days; by both sexes.
Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 16 days.
Subspecies
Slender-billed Cuckoo-dove (Macropygia amboinensis) and Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia phasianella) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) have been lumped into Macropygia amboinensis following Christidis and Boles (1994).
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9