Diamond Dove Photograph by Michelle Meenawong

Diamond Dove

by Michelle Meenawong

Canvas Print

$67

Framed Print

$76

Art Print

$25

Poster

$25

Metal Print

$73

Acrylic Print

$81

Wood Print

$53

Tapestry

$41

Throw Pillow

$26

Fleece Blanket

$47

Duvet Cover

$99

Shower Curtain

$69

Bath Towel

$33

Ornament

$9.50

Jigsaw Puzzle

$38

Tote Bag

$24

Weekender Tote Bag

$44

Zip Pouch

$23

Portable Battery Charger

$47

Yoga Mat

$61

Greeting Card

$5.95

Spiral Notebook

$15

Sticker

$4.00

iPhone Case

$27

Beach Towel

$33

Round Beach Towel

$71

Weekender Tote Bag

$44

Coffee Mug

$14

Title

Diamond Dove

Artist

Michelle Meenawong

Medium

Photograph - Metal Print

Description

The diamond dove (Geopelia cuneata) is a resident bird in Australia. The dove predominantly exists in areas near water but which are lightly arid or semi-arid in nature, being Central, West and Northern Australia. They are one of Australia's smallest pigeons along with the peaceful dove. They have been spotted occasionally in Southern Australia in parks and gardens when the centre of Australia is very dry.
The diamond dove is often seen on the ground, where it runs with a waddling gait. Its flight is strong, direct, and sometimes undulating. The wings can make a whistling "frrr" noise when flying.
Diamond doves tend to be seen in pairs or small groups feeding off the ground. They feed off seed mostly from grasses. They will also eat ants.
The doves tend to breed after rain but mostly in spring in Southern Australia. Nests are usually built from interwoven grasses and/or twigs, and are fragile in construction. Two white eggs are usually laid and incubated for 13 to 14 days. Their chicks are fast to grow, and are usually fully feathered and flying by two weeks.
They are known to have a variety of calls. The calls sound mournful, slow and have a soft, pleasant falsetto quality to them. Two calls consist of two long coos followed by a pause and then a long, short and long coo. Sometimes they call two long coos. The alarm coo consists of a few short but loud coos.
Diamond doves build nests in open scoops, and will appreciate open-topped nest baskets. They will nest in whatever they find, however, including the seed dish. The mating behavior begins with a repeated call, usually by the male but sometimes by a female if kept singly. The male will display his tail feathers by dipping his head low and raising his tail, spreading the long feathers like a fan towards a desired female while uttering a two-note coo. The pair will stay together for long periods, greeting each other with low coos and vibrating their wings, or symbolically preening each other with rapid light pecks.
Generally, they must live in pairs or flocks, as their need for companionship is high. Single diamond doves can bond to humans if acquired when relatively young, but this requires a commitment of time and attention from the owner because they require months or years to tame and will then require significant companionship time with their owner, much like a parrot. Once tamed, the dove is a sweet and gentle pet, who greets its owner with happy coos and will perch on the finger or shoulder. They will also preen their owner with rapid light pecks, and accept being stroked gently in return. Care must be taken to avoid the bird thinking of its owner as a mate, as this leads to egg-laying and excessive dependence on its owner's companionship, and is stressful to the bird. This can be avoided by not being affectionate with the bird while it is engaging in nesting or display behaviors.
Diamond doves live for 15–25 years in captivity. In the wild they only live for about 3–5 years.

A very grateful thank you to the following groups for featuring this picture

Faa Portraits - Birds
11/20/2017

Wild Birds Of The World - Photography
11/22/2017

A Birding Group - Wings
11/22/2017

Animal Photographs
11/02/2018

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS
01/25/2021

FINE ART AMERICA PROFESSIONALS
06/21/2022