Discovered bird confirmed as manycoloured fruit dove

NatureFiji-MareqetiViti Trustee Dick Watling confirmed the colourful bird, whose pictures were being shared on social media on July 12, was in fact a many coloured fruit dove.

“He is a male many-coloured Fruit Dove, usual Fijian name is

Kuluvotu; one of Fiji’s most handsome birds,” he said.

Mr Watling said the same species is found in Tonga and Samoa.

“It is a forest and forest-edge bird normally located anywhere the native strangling fig (Baka) and others figs are found,” he said. “Formerly when there were more

Baka along Queen Elizabeth Drive and in the Thurston Gardens, the

Kuluvotu was commonly seen in central Suva. Not so today.”