Pied Imperial Pigeon

A large and predominately white pigeon. Black on lower parts of wings, end of the tail as well as black eyes and a pale yellow/whitish bill.

The Pied Imperial Pigeon is commonly found in northern Australia in coastal areas from the Kimberley to the Great Barrier Reef. Birds residing in the Kimberley are non-migratory, while the birds in the east of Queensland are migratory. Migratory birds in the east arrive from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea in August and depart from February - April.

Upto 20 years.

35 - 45 centimetres in length, with a 45 cm wingspan.

This is an arboreal dove that feeds exclusively on fruit. It can swallow fruits with very large seeds that they will later regurgitate or excrete whole after the pulp has been removed.

They generally can be found in rainforests, eucalyptus woodland, coastal scrubs, streams, rivers, mangroves and islands.

The Pied Imperial Pigeon builds an untidy stick nest in a tree, usually a coconut palm and lays a single white egg. The egg will hatch within 23 to 25 days and the young will attempt to fly after about 3 weeks. In Australia, they breed between August and January in mangroves, vines, and palms-on off shore islands.