Bird Guide

Amboyna Cuckoo-Dove vs Little Cuckoo-Dove

Amboyna Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia amboinensis)

Amboyna Cuckoo-Dove

Macropygia amboinensis

Medium237 gForest

The Amboyna cuckoo-dove is typically about 35–37 centimetres (14–15 in) long. Males tend to have a slight rose/green colouration on their nape and neck. In Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, many subspecies have whitish underparts, fine dark barring below and/or a whitish cap. The call of this dove is a very loud "whoop-a whoop" with some differences depending on the subspecies involved.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: avocat · CC BY 4.0
Little Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia ruficeps)

Little Cuckoo-Dove

Macropygia ruficeps

Medium82 gForest

The little cuckoo-dove is a reddish brown pigeon, measuring 27 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in) in length, and weighing 74 to 88 g (2.6 to 3.1 oz). It has cinnamon buff plumage. It has greyish white irides. The beak is brown, and has a black tip. The feet are coral red in colour. The tail is long, and it differentiates the little cuckoo-dove from other sympatric (species existing in the same geographic area and thus frequently encountering one another) pigeons. Little cuckoo-doves travel in loose flocks.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Kalvin Chan · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Amboyna Cuckoo-Dove and Little Cuckoo-Dove.