Barred Cuckoo Dove       Macropygia unchall tusalia

Etymology:

  • Macropygia: Greek word  makros- long, deep;  pugios –rumped  { Long rumped}
  • Unchall : Javanese name for Cuckoo Doves
  • Tusalia : Nepalese name Tusalfor the Barred Cuckoo Dove

Vernacular name:   Cachar: Daotukunt laima, Lepcha: Phoochong-pho, Ka-er, Bhutia: Pumok, Nepal: Tusal, Hindi: Pattidar Fakhta

Distribution in India: Resident of Himalayas and North East Indian Hills.

Description:  Size of 37–41 cm; Weight of 153–182 g. The forehead and throat are buff merging into pinkish grey crown, ear-coverts and nape. It has green or purplish pink iridescence on hindneck. The sides of breast and neck are mauve pink with fine black bars and some green iridescence; rest of underparts are pinkish grey merging to buff on belly and undertail-coverts. The flanks are dusky; back, wings and central rectrices are barred black and chestnut; outer rectrices blue-grey with broad black subter­minal band, whitish on basal half of outer webs of outermost pair. The iris has inner pale blue or sometimes brown ring, surrounded by pink outer ring; orbital skin is bluish grey, eyelids are purple; bill is dark grey, feet and legs are dull cherry red or purplish brown. Female is reddish brown on head and breast merging to buff on face and belly, with fine black bars evident throughout. The hindneck has some green iridescence; basal portion of inner webs of outer rectrices are chestnut. Juvenile is like female, but young male is slightly darker and redder. Race tusalia slightly larger and darker than nominate, with pink tinge on head and breast richer.

Habitat: It is found in dense evergreen forest and secondary jungle . It is found from 450–2750 m in Himalayas. Observed in pairs or groups of up to 10 individuals..

Food Habits: It eats Seeds, grain, buds, shoots, acorns, berries and small drupes. It occasionally feeds on the ground in open glades in forest, but more usually in trees where it is very acrobatic, like fruit-doves; may hang upside-down from a tree and swing out towards a berry, other­wise just out of reach.

Breeding Habits: They breed in Mar–Jul. The Nest is large, flimsy platform of twigs, placed up in a sapling or stunted oak. They lay a clutch of 1- 2 eggs, slightly glossy white or cream-coloured eggs, occasionally with a very small number of olive-yellow speckles and spots. The incubation period is 15–16 days. The  fledging period is 19 days.