About Macropygia ruficeps (Temminck, 1835)
The little cuckoo-dove (Macropygia ruficeps) is a small reddish brown pigeon species. It measures 27 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in) in total length, and weighs 74 to 88 g (2.6 to 3.1 oz). Its plumage is cinnamon buff, with greyish white irides, a brown beak with a black tip, and coral red feet. It has a long tail, a feature that distinguishes it from other sympatric pigeons (species that live in the same geographic area and frequently encounter one another). Little cuckoo-doves travel in loose flocks. In the northern part of their range, little cuckoo-doves inhabit evergreen hill forests and forest peripheries. Further south, they live in drier forests and adjacent areas of second-growth forest. They can also be found in cultivated areas. They are most commonly found in submontane habitats at elevations between 300 and 2,000 m (980 and 6,560 ft) above sea level. They have also been recorded at elevations of at least 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) on Mount Kinabulu, and occasionally occur at sea level.
