Photo: Jean Gabriel Prêtre / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Black Cuckoo-Dove
Turacoena modesta
Black Cuckoo-Dove (Turacoena modesta) — Pigeons & Doves of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black Cuckoo-Dove (Turacoena modesta) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 340 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Columbiformes
- Family Columbidae Pigeons, Doves
- Genus Turacoena
- Species modesta
Quick facts
- Weight
- 340 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Columbidae
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black Cuckoo-Dove is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black Cuckoo-Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black Cuckoo-Dove (Turacoena modesta) is a species of bird in the Columbidae family, part of the order Columbiformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Rote, Timor, Atauro and Wetar (e Lesser Sundas).
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 340 g, with a wing length of about 19.7 cm and a tail of around 16.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 32,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black Cuckoo-Dove?
The Black Cuckoo-Dove is a large bird that weighs around 340 g.
Where does the Black Cuckoo-Dove live?
The Black Cuckoo-Dove is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Rote, Timor, Atauro and Wetar (e Lesser Sundas), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black Cuckoo-Dove belong to?
The Black Cuckoo-Dove (Turacoena modesta) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.
What does the Black Cuckoo-Dove eat?
The Black Cuckoo-Dove is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Black Cuckoo-Dove migrate?
The Black Cuckoo-Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black Cuckoo-Dove endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Black Cuckoo-Dove make?
1 real field recording of the Black Cuckoo-Dove — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black Cuckoo-Dove's range?
The Black Cuckoo-Dove has a mapped global range of about 32,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Columbidae
Vulnerable
Not Evaluated
Near Threatened
Endangered
Near Threatened
More in Pigeons & Doves
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Meet the Columbidae
A field guide to the Columbidae family — 352 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.