Photo: Crichton, Andrew; Crichton, Andrew; Selby, Prideaux John / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue-capped Fruit Dove
Ptilinopus monacha
Blue-capped Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus monacha) — 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 Blue-capped Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus monacha) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 53.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Columbiformes
- Family Columbidae Pigeons, Doves
- Genus Ptilinopus
- Species monacha
Where it lives
Morotai to Obi (northern Moluccas) and Damar (northeastern Lesser Sundas)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 53.9 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Columbidae
- Order
- Columbiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Blue-capped Fruit Dove is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Blue-capped Fruit Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Blue-capped Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus monacha) belongs to the Columbidae family of the order Columbiformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Morotai to Obi (n Moluccas) and Damar (ne Lesser Sundas).
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 53.9 g, with a wing length of about 9.6 cm and a tail of around 5.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 26,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue-capped Fruit Dove?
The Blue-capped Fruit Dove is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 53.9 g.
Where does the Blue-capped Fruit Dove live?
The Blue-capped Fruit Dove is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Morotai to Obi (n Moluccas) and Damar (ne Lesser Sundas), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Blue-capped Fruit Dove belong to?
The Blue-capped Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus monacha) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.
What does the Blue-capped Fruit Dove eat?
The Blue-capped Fruit Dove is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Blue-capped Fruit Dove migrate?
The Blue-capped Fruit Dove is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Blue-capped Fruit Dove endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Blue-capped Fruit Dove make?
1 real field recording of the Blue-capped Fruit 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 Blue-capped Fruit Dove's range?
The Blue-capped Fruit Dove has a mapped global range of about 26,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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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.