Breeding the Jambu Fruit Dove at the Memphis Zoo and Aquarium

Abstract

Author's Note: the format of this article was designed primarily to convey facts concerning the captive breeding and husbandry of Jambu Fruit Doves. What it fails to convey is that broad range of feelings these beautiful little birds have instilled in. their keepers. Beginning with an appreciation of their beauty, running the gamut of hope and despair and, finally, experiencing the thrill of success, we have gained considerably from the experience. We have recently broadened our captive breeding program to include three additional species of fruit doves. Hopefully, I will be reporting on our future success with these species as well.

Abstract

In late 1984, the Memphis Zoo acquired 2.2 wild-caught Jambu Fruit Doves (Ptilinopus jambu). Little information has been published concerning the frugivorous columbids. Our program for maintaining and breeding these doves developed by trial, error and correction.

In mid-1985, we hatched what may have been the first captive-hatched Jambu Fruit Dove. One year later, that individual had produced offspring after being paired with a wild-caught bird.

Since the original acquisition in 1984, the program has produced 28 captive-hatched offspring, with 12 individuals surviving to adulthood.

The knowledge gained from these experiences has contributed to the husbandry guidelines described here.

 Pigeons and doves comprise the unique, highly recognizable order of birds Columbiformes. Within this order, most taxonomists recognize only one family, Columbidae. Within this single family, however, the diversity is great. With 43 genera and 299 extant species, columbids can be found throughout most of the world (Walters, 1980).

 The group compnsmg the fruit pigeons and doves (Treroninae), occur in the Old World only, primarily in the Australasian region. These birds are usually vividly colored with green being the dominant color. They are arboreal and feed primarily on fruits and berries (Delacour, 1980). Within this group can be found the singularly beautiful genus, Ptilinopus. These generally small columbids are commonly referred to as the fruit doves. There are 47 species of fruit doves. They vary in size from the sparrow-sized Dwarf Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus maina) to the Magnificent Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus), which can be larger than the common feral pigeon (Goodwin, 1983).

Based on our successful experience with other exotic pigeons and doves, the Memphis Zoo decided to acquire two pairs (2.2) of Jambu Fruit Doves in September of 1984.

The Jambu Fruit Dove is native to the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and adjacent small inlands. It inhabits forests and semi-wooded areas and is partly migratory (Goodwin, 1983).

The Jambu Fruit Dove is a medium sized dove, averaging 23 cm in length. The sexes are chromatically dimorphic. The male has a crimson-pink face, forehead and forecrown. The upper throat and chin are blackish. The upper parts are green, while the underparts are white with a pink breast patch. The under tail coverts are chestnut colored. The female is much duller colored, being predominantly green with a dull purple head, whitish belly and chestnut under tail coverts. The newly fledged chick has green upper parts with white lower parts. Head feathers are greenish until later in the youngs' development. Juveniles resemble females, but assume recognizably different plumage by three to four months of age.

In 1984, little was known about the Jambu Fruit Doves' reproductive behavior. In spite of our lack of knowledge, on June 10, 1985, one pair of Jambu hatched a chick. Possibly the first captive hatching for this species, it was the start of a breeding program that continues today. Since its inception, the program has produced 28 offspring of which 12 have survived to adulthood.