THE



149



Avicultural Magazine,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



Third Series .— Vol. V.—No. 5. — All rights reserved. MARCH, 1914.



GREEN-WINGED DOVES.


By Miss R. Alderson.


There are two varieties of the Green-winged Dove that are

commonly kept in captivity. That, figured in the plate, known as

the Australian Green-winged Dove (Chctlcophaps chrysochlora ) and

another, known as the Indian Green-wing (Chalcophaps indica).

To most bird-dealers, and indeed to many other owners of the birds,

the two kinds are hardly distinguishable, and go by the general

title of Green-wing.


The price of these doves is usually about 7/6 a pair, never

less and often more. Dr. Greene in “ Notes on Cage Birds,” pub¬

lished in 1899, quotes the price for the'Australian variety at 30/- to

40/- a pair, though in 1900 I paid 18/6 for four birds, but which

variety these latter were I cannot remember. I noted at the time

that the average price then was 12/6 a pair. The Green-wing is a

dove that cannot always be had when wanted, for it does not seem

to be imported regularly all the year round, though the Indian

variety especially, seems common enough in its native country, but

even there it is not often seen offered for sale.


The Green-wing seems a very long-lived bird. One of my

four original birds only died last year, thirteen years since I bought

him as an adult bird, and Dr. Butler mentions one (the Australian

variety) that he kept for over twelve years.


I have found the Green-wing a very hardy dove, though, as

there is an exception to every rule, I have twice nearly lost birds

through collapse from cold. In both cases the birds recovered after



