Peaceful Dove

The Peaceful Dove is a small, sturdy dove, with a long graduated tail and wedge-shaped wings. The eye-ring, eye and cere (the soft parts above the bill) are all blue-grey. The upper body is mainly brown-grey, with dark barring. The head and lower throat is a softer grey, with dark scallops. The throat is white and lower body pinkish. The feet are a deep pink. They are usually seen in pairs or small parties, never far from water. The flight is direct, low to the ground and undulating. Their call is very distinctive and is the source of one of their common names, 'Doodle-Doo'. They also may be called the Placid, Zebra or Barred Dove.

The Peaceful Dove has a similar shape but is larger than the Diamond Dove and is much smaller than the Bar-shouldered Dove, which has a bronze shoulder patch. They can also be distinguished by their characteristic calls.

Peaceful Doves are found in Asia, south Burma and the Malay peninsula, through Indochina to eastern New Guinea and Australia, where it is widespread in the north west, north and eastern mainland. They have been widely introduced to islands.

Peaceful Doves are found in open dry woodland with a grassy understorey and the edges of rainforest. In drier areas, they are often in woodland beside rivers, pandanus and vine thickets. They feed on the ground and roost in trees.

Peaceful Doves are sedentary, though some seasonal changes in distribution occur in the south and flocks may form briefly in some areas.

Peaceful Doves forage on the ground in open, bare areas, in paddocks, beside roads and in gardens. They feed mainly on small seeds of grasses and sedges, and sometimes small insects. They need to drink at least twice a day.

Peaceful Doves place their nests in trees or shrubs, including in garden and street trees. They build a small, flimsy platform of twigs, grasses and roots, which is built by both parents. Both parents also feed the young, with 'crop milk' or small seeds.

When courting, the male Peaceful Dove puts on quite a display of bowing and dipping. He drops his chest and bobs his fully-fanned tail high, giving a 'coo' call.

Peaceful Doves have benefitted from the clearing of rainforest, but may have declined on the coast from increasing urbanisation and farming.