Emerald Dove Husbandry Manual - Nswfmpa.org

Jennifer Brown ● Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica ● Husbandry manual
protection from wind and rain as st ated in the EAPAct (2004). A well designed enclosure
would also be designed to always have a section in the shade and an exposed section in
the sun. As aviaries often are ex posed to the elements by design there does need to be
an enclosed shelter somewhere in the exhibit. The shelter should face a northerly direction
as t his w ill protect the ar ea wi thin the sh elter f rom t he winds an d st orms t hat c ome u p
from the south, as well as the western sun.
4.6 Heating Requirements:
The Emerald Dove does not have any specific heating requirements, though in winter a
heat lamp can be provided and this gives the birds the options of using it, especially if t
he birds are being housed in areas in Australia that is not within their normal distribution
range.
4.7 Substrate:
Artificial substrates such as c oncrete should be avoided especially in permanent exhibits
due t o t he b irds’ n ature. F or t he ma jority o f t he time t he E merald D ove is a g round
dwelling bird and as such a substrate such as mulch, leaf litter or soil is best to use, as this
allows t he bird t o display i ts natural behaviours s uch as foraging. For temporary holding
areas substrates such as newspaper can be used.
4.8 Nest Boxes or Bedding Material:
The Emerald Doves needs little nesting material. In my experience a si mple platform only
needs to be provided. The bird will often balance a nest in a t ree if sticks and twigs are
provided. It was once recorded that a nest was made out of only six sticks (Higgens et.al.
1996). Of course nesting material only needs to be provided in the breeding season which
is u sually s pring al though g iven n esting m aterials an d t he c orrect f ood t rigger t hey can
bred all year round. During the rest of the year the bird will happily roost on any tree or
perches provided in the aviary.
4.9 Enclosure Furnishings:
Being a g round b ird, t he b est f urnishings s hould al low f or a lot of sp ace free o n t he
ground. The Emerald Dove will also nest and hide in trees so there needs to be places to
perch such as trees or perches of various heights and widths.
The aviary should be filled with a variety of plants. Grass tussocks plants are good as the
birds c an ru n aro und an d h ide i n these, a s ar e an y other p lants t hat sp rout l ow t o the
ground- see appendix 5 for more species. These plants can be rotated to keep them
healthy.
Browse pots should be placed around the aviary so they can be filled regularly with fresh
browse.
Items such as misters should be considered for the birds’ health and enrichment.
A pond or stream is a great idea for a wa ter supply and if it is self sustaining, it may not
need daily maintenance.
The Emerald Dove mainly nests in spring but can breed all year round. Nesting platforms
should be provided only when b reeding of the birds i s required. Sticks and twigs should
also be provided around the exhibit for the bird to build its nest with.
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