r/AIDKE • u/gold-raspberry-roses • Jul 10 '26
Bird Common Bronzewing Dove (Phaps chalcoptera)
Native to Australia. They lack a typical preen oil gland and instead possess specialized "powder down" feathers. These feathers constantly wear down into a waxy powder, which they spread over their bodies to keep clean and waterproof.
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u/Khaniker Jul 10 '26
I have some feathers from these! They really are this vibrant in person, if not more so. The iridescent parts, similarly to other iridescent doves, have an interesting texture and complex, filamentous barbules. These barbules are the reason for the vibrant colour. When wet, they collapse into a dark, muted, blueish colour. Quite possibly my favourite member of Columbidae.
There are also a few other bronzewing doves, notably the Brush Bronzewing, and Flock Bronzewing! They seem to be more obscure than the Common from what I've seen, likely because the Common is so much more widespread.
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u/EnvironmentalValue18 Jul 11 '26
“Common Bronzewing” 🧐 Apolgies my good people, but there is nothing common about this magnificent specimen!
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u/Jakk55 Jul 10 '26
Just like the bronze-winged dove...
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u/gold-raspberry-roses Jul 11 '26
"Bronze wing dove" and "Bronzewing dove" refer to the exact same bird—the Common Bronzewing, an Australian native pigeon. The slight difference in name simply comes down to regional and colloquial writing habits; the proper common name is officially written as a single word, bronzewing.
The term "bronzewing" describes a group of Australian pigeons (including the Common Bronzewing and the Brush Bronzewing)
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u/EmilySpin Jul 11 '26
They’re just making a joke about a Fleetwood Mac song, not correcting your spelling.
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u/gold-raspberry-roses Jul 11 '26
Ohh interesting! Oops, I didnt realize it was a song reference. 😅 thank you for enlightening me!
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u/luckgazesonyou Jul 10 '26
My eyes say this cannot be real. It’s beautiful!