Geopelia striata - The Zebra Dove

Zebra Doves (Geopelia striata) are known as Merbuk in Malay. This type of doves are slender with an elongated tail. Their call is a trill of soft, cooing notes. At one time when the pace of life was slower, these birds were popular as pets because of their soothing cooing. Some of the better crooners were entered into competitions for the bird with the best voice. Often substantial bets were staked on them.

 They can often be found high up on tree tops, searching for berries, fruits or other grubs.

They are able to move from one part of the tree to another simply by walking along the branches.

 This one was seen striding along this branch, that has its own micro eco-system.

Various types of parasitic vegetation thrives on the branches.

These doves often pair up and can be seen foraging for food together.

It is called the Zebra Dove due to its brownish-grey with black-and-white barring on the upperparts. 

The underparts however are pinkish with black bars on the sides of the neck, breast and belly.

The face is blue-grey with blue skin around the eyes, extending to the beak. Women must have emulated them in the use of blue eyeliner.



Another one perched on the top of the concrete fence, with the assurance that it is safe from stray cats that make frequent visits to the garden.

 
The Bauhenia kockiana vine had intertwined with the stems of the Red Hibiscus rosa sinensis.

 
 This elevated point on the fence gave it a good view of the happenings in the garden below.

 
When it thought that the coast was really clear, it flew down and landed on the rim of this huge container. 


From the container, its was just a hop to the ground. Doves are often seen hopping and walking on the ground with purposeful strides.

It walked past a fallen Madagascar Periwinkle with nary a glance.

 

 

I have no idea what it was looking for. Perhaps a juicy worm or merely grass seeds.

Petraeovitex wolfei - Nong Nooch Vine

This vine is easy to grow and propagate. The vines are fine, but has robust growth.  Its growth habit is similar to that of Clerodendrum thomsonae (Bleeding Heart vine). The leaves are tri-foliate, light green in colour and darken over time.

This amazing vine is a stunner when in bloom.

I brought it back home from the nursery as a one-foot high rooted cutting. It grew fast and after several months, it reached my first floor balcony and sprouted these pendulous strings of golden blooms.

It is fighting with Quisqualis indica (Rangoon creeper) for balcony space.

 
A solitary golden strand hangs down between the finger-like foliage of the Norfolk Island Pine.

This Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata) fledging flew against my glass door and dropped down semi-conscious. I placed it  in a cardboard box with bird seeds and water. The next day, I set it out on the top tier of a contianer-planted Norfolk Island Pine to dry as it had spilled water over itself.

It basked in the warmth of the morning sun and allow me to photograph it from all angles.



It finally took off leaving three feathers behind as a momento of its brief stint of domesticity with us.

Some strands dipped into the thick clump of Alpinia purpurata (Red ginger torch)

The real flowers are the white ones but they do not last long. The golden bracts are the ones which last and give it the character that draws much admiration.

A calyx landed on the lawn.