Mindanao bleeding-heart dove

Scientific name: Gallicolumba crinigera

IUCN listed as: Vulnerable

Learn before you visit!

Here are some facts about the species – Discover what they eat, find out about their natural habitat, see what they like to do, and more… Set the reading style to suit you too, everyday speak or something aimed towards children.

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Everyday

Diet

The diet of the Mindanao Bleeding-heart Dove consists mainly of seeds, fruits, and insects found on the forest floor. They forage by pecking at the ground and using their beaks to probe into leaf litter in search of food. This species plays an important role in seed dispersal within its habitat, contributing to the health of the forest ecosystem.

Mindanao Bleeding-heart Doves eat seeds, fruits, and bugs they find on the ground. They peck and probe with their beaks to find yummy treats hidden under leaves.

Breeding

Breeding typically occurs during the rainy season when food availability is abundant. The male performs courtship displays to attract a mate, which may involve puffing out its chest and cooing softly. Females lay one or two eggs in a simple nest made of twigs and leaves, usually built low in the branches of trees.

These doves have babies during the rainy season when there’s lots of food around. The daddy dove puffs up his chest and sings to impress the mummy dove. She lays one or two eggs in a nest made of twigs and leaves in a low tree branch.

Habitat

These doves are endemic to the Philippines, specifically on the island of Mindanao and nearby islands. They inhabit lowland and montane forests, preferring areas with dense undergrowth where they can find food and nesting sites. Habitat loss due to deforestation is a major threat to their survival, as it reduces their available nesting and foraging areas.

Mindanao Bleeding-heart Doves only live in the Philippines, mainly on an island called Mindanao. They like forests with lots of plants on the ground where they can find food and build nests. But they’re in danger because people are cutting down their forests.

At the zoo

Mindanao Bleeding-heart Doves are sometimes kept in zoos as part of breeding programmes aimed at conserving the species. They require aviaries that replicate their forest habitat, with dense vegetation and ground cover to mimic their natural environment. Zoos provide them with a varied diet that includes seeds, fruits, and insects to ensure their nutritional needs are met.

Some zoos take care of Mindanao Bleeding-heart Doves to help them have babies and keep them safe. The doves live in aviaries that look like their forest home, with lots of bushes and places to hide. Zookeepers make sure they have enough food like seeds, fruits, and bugs to eat.

Behaviour

Mindanao Bleeding-heart Doves are shy and elusive birds, often remaining hidden in the undergrowth to avoid predators. They are primarily ground-dwelling but will perch in trees when resting or observing their surroundings. Their distinctive feature is a patch of bright red on their breast that resembles a bleeding wound, which is used during courtship displays and possibly as a form of communication.

These doves are shy and like to stay hidden in the bushes to stay safe from animals that might eat them. They walk on the ground but rest or watch from trees. Their red chest patch looks like a sore, and they use it to show off to find a partner.

Fun facts

  • They get their name from the red patch on their chest that looks like it’s bleeding.
  • Mindanao Bleeding-heart Doves are great at hiding in the forest undergrowth.
  • These doves play an important role in spreading seeds around the forest when they eat fruits.
  • They have soft, gentle cooing calls that they use to communicate with each other.
  • Mindanao Bleeding-heart Doves are sadly endangered because their forests are disappearing.
  • Mindanao Bleeding-heart Doves have a red patch on their chest that looks like it’s bleeding.
  • They are really good at hiding in the bushes and leaves on the forest floor.
  • These doves help plants grow by spreading their seeds when they eat fruits.
  • They make soft, gentle sounds like “coo-coo” to talk to each other.
  • These doves are in danger because people are cutting down their homes in the forest.

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