Pied imperial-pigeon

Pied imperial-pigeon - Scientific name: Ducula bicolor

The Pied Imperial-pigeon is an arboreal dove, feeding almost exclusively on fruit, 35-45 centimeters  length, with a 45 cm wingspan. It is entirely white or pale cream, apart from black flight feathers and tail feathers. The head can be brown, soiled by eating fruit.

It is commonly found in northern Australia in coastal areas from the Kimberlies to the Great Barrier Reef, in the east. Birds residing in the Kimberlies are non-migratory, while the birds east of Queensland are migratory. Migratory birds in the east arrive from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea in August and depart February to April. They generally can be found in rainforests, eucalyptus woodland, coastal scrubs, streams, rivers, mangroves and islands.

The birds were once present in large colonies in Australia but were subject to mass slaughter in the 19th Century because they were thought as pests. The population is now slowly improving because of their protected status, and there are now an estimated 30,000 of these birds in Australia.  Calls made by the birds are a deep "mrrrooooo", "roo-ca-hoo" and "up-ooooo".