Macropygia doreya
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
Sultan's cuckoo-dove (Macropygia doreya) is a dove in the genus Macropygia found in the northern Moluccas, Sulawesi to New Guinea and the western Papuan islands. It was one of three new species defined when the slender-billed cuckoo-dove was split up in 2016.
They are typically about 35–37 centimetres (14–15 in) long. The males tend to have a slight rose/green colouration on their nape and neck. Many subspecies have whitish underparts, fine dark barring below and/or a whitish cap.
The call of this dove is a very loud "whoop-a whoop" with some differences depending on the subspecies involved. Sultan's cuckoo-dove inhabits rainforest, woodland, scrubland and rainforest regrowth areas. The doves can often be seen in pairs or groups. Its diet consists of berries from both native plants and introduced weed species. They can be nomadic, depending on the supplies of food. They tend to fly short distances and low to the ground with great strength.
Breeding occurs in spring and summer. The nest is a flat platform of sticks and vines, either in a fork of a tree or on top of a low tree. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tangkoko Nature Reserve | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Sultan's Cuckoo-Dove sighting in Raja Ampat on a given day, based on 357 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 33rd most-seen of the 200 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October and November
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Sultan's Cuckoo-Dove in Raja Ampat on a given day, against about 10% in May, September and December–February, the lowest months.
Between 11 pm and 2 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sultan's Cuckoo-Dove sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Sultan's Cuckoo-Dove sightings, Raja Ampat ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Tangkoko Nature Reserve (Indonesia, about 40%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sultan's Cuckoo-Dove is recorded against all the birds logged in Raja Ampat (357 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
