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Juvenile Zebra Doves

on 2nd November 2017

One evening I noticed a pair of recently fledged juvenile Zebra Doves (Geopelia striata) being fed by an adult on a branch of a roadside tree. As with doves and pigeons, the young are fed with crop milk – see HERE.

This involves the adult dipping its bill into the throat of the young to transfer the milk. But before I could assemble my video equipment the adult flew off. The two juveniles however remained on the tree branch (below).

DoveZ-jy

Unlike other birds like the Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus), where the recently fledged juvenile will constantly be around the adults begging to be fed LINK, the Zebra Dove juveniles remained where they were after feeding. The adults flew off to forage and at this young stage there was no need to teach the juvenile how to seek out food. Only when the juveniles are about to wean off crop milk will it be necessary for them to follow the adults all the time.

The pair of juveniles set quietly, indulging in preening, scratching, pecking each other while waiting for the adults to return. It was the late evening and the adults will fly in to join the juveniles in roosting in the same tree.

YC Wee
Singapore
26th August 2017

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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