wompoo

The Wompoo fruit dove (Ptilinopus magnificus) is a large and dramatically beautiful rainforest pigeon, almost twice the size of other coloured fruit doves. It is up to 56 cm long, with a pale grey head shading into rich green back and wings. There is a broken yellow band across each wing. The breast and belly are plum-purple and the underparts are yellow.

It's conservation status in New South Wales is 'vulnerable'. A 'vulnerable' species is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances and factors threatening its survival or evolutionary development cease to operate.

Here are some photos of one taken from the verandah of our house. It was busy eating the fruit of a white cedar.









What needs to be done to recover this species?

• Plant locally-occurring fruit-bearing trees and shrubs.
• Protect remnant rainforest patches during burning-off activities.
• Retain forested corridors that link east to west migration routes.
• Encourage and initiate weed control programs.
• Protect known and potential food trees.
• Protect rainforest and moist forest habitat.
• Initiate and support rainforest regeneration projects.

The white cedar was being shared by the pigeon with a group of Pied Currawongs (Strepera graculina) who were also feasting on the fruit and a lone Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) who was using the tree as a lookout post for catching worms and insects on the ground.