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 |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Sultan's Cuckoo-Dove sighting in Tangkoko Nature Reserve on a given day, based on 331 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 27th most-seen of the 138 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–May, July–August and November
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Sultan's Cuckoo-Dove in Tangkoko Nature Reserve on a given day, against about 20% in October and December, 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.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Sultan's Cuckoo-Dove sightings, Tangkoko Nature Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Raja Ampat (Indonesia, about 30%).
Same family: Columbidae
The closest relatives of the Sultan's Cuckoo-Dove that you can see in Tangkoko Nature Reserve (family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves) are Green Imperial-Pigeon (about 80%), White Imperial-Pigeon (about 70%) and Black-naped Fruit-Dove (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sultan's Cuckoo-Dove is recorded against all the birds logged in Tangkoko Nature Reserve (331 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.
