Crested Pigeon
Encyclopedia
The Crested Pigeon is a bird
found widely throughout mainland Australia
except for far tropical north areas. It is the only member of the genus Ocyphaps.There are only two Australian pigeon species that possess an erect crest, being the Crested Pigeon and the Spinifex Pigeon
. The Crested Pigeon is the larger of the two species.
ed but slender, black spike on top of head
. They run with the crest erect. The periorbital skin is bright orange. Wing
s have black stripings and are bronzed, while the primary feathers have colourful areas of brown, purple, blue and green. Immature
birds have duller colours with no bronzing on the wings.
The call is a "whoop"! voiced repeatedly but singly when alarmed.
s, brush and wooded areas but they can also be seen at watercourse
s, homestead gardens, pastoral
areas, sports grounds, and golf
courses. Their habitat has expanded since settlement has produced pastoral lands (previously they were only found in inland and Western Australia
). Foraging for grain, has adapted to grain farming areas, often feeding on the noxious weed of Salvation Jane. They are commonly known as the topknot pigeon.
sound their wings make when they take off. This is most likely to draw the attention of predators to birds on the wing, and away from any birds remaining on the ground and as an alarm call to other pigeons. When the birds land, the tail tilts upwards and the flight patterns are similar to the those of the Spotted Turtle-Dove
. They are generally sedentary. Although can be seen in pairs but they can be highly social and tend to be seen in packs. They are highly gregarious birds when in contact with humans.
ing usually occurs in shrub
s or tree
s. Nests usually consist of a platform of twigs. They lay two oval, white and glossy egg
s. The eggs usually hatch 3 weeks after they were laid. Both parents incubate the eggs.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
found widely throughout mainland Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
except for far tropical north areas. It is the only member of the genus Ocyphaps.There are only two Australian pigeon species that possess an erect crest, being the Crested Pigeon and the Spinifex Pigeon
Spinifex Pigeon
The Spinifex Pigeon, Geophaps plumifera, is a bird found in Australia.There are only two Australian pigeon species that possess an erect crest: the Spinifex Pigeon and the Crested Pigeon. The Spinifex Pigeon is the smaller of the two, measuring from 20 to 24 centimetres...
. The Crested Pigeon is the larger of the two species.
Description
The length of the Crested Pigeon varies from 30 to 34 centimetres (12 to 13.6 inches). Colouration is grey with tinges of brown. It has a featherFeather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
ed but slender, black spike on top of head
Head
In anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose and mouth . Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms do....
. They run with the crest erect. The periorbital skin is bright orange. Wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
s have black stripings and are bronzed, while the primary feathers have colourful areas of brown, purple, blue and green. Immature
Juvenile (organism)
A juvenile is an individual organism that has not yet reached its adult form, sexual maturity or size. Juveniles sometimes look very different from the adult form, particularly in terms of their colour...
birds have duller colours with no bronzing on the wings.
The call is a "whoop"! voiced repeatedly but singly when alarmed.
Distribution and habitat
Habitat is grasslandGrassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s, brush and wooded areas but they can also be seen at watercourse
Watercourse
A watercourse is any flowing body of water. These include rivers, streams, anabranches, and so forth.-See also:* physical geography* Environmental flow* Waterway* Hydrology* Wadi-External links:...
s, homestead gardens, pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
areas, sports grounds, and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
courses. Their habitat has expanded since settlement has produced pastoral lands (previously they were only found in inland and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
). Foraging for grain, has adapted to grain farming areas, often feeding on the noxious weed of Salvation Jane. They are commonly known as the topknot pigeon.
Behaviour
Their most distinctive behaviour is the beating and whistlingWhistle
A whistle or call is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means...
sound their wings make when they take off. This is most likely to draw the attention of predators to birds on the wing, and away from any birds remaining on the ground and as an alarm call to other pigeons. When the birds land, the tail tilts upwards and the flight patterns are similar to the those of the Spotted Turtle-Dove
Spotted Dove
The Spotted Dove , also known as the Spotted Turtle Dove, is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in the Indian Subcontinent including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka east to southern Tibet and Southeast Asia...
. They are generally sedentary. Although can be seen in pairs but they can be highly social and tend to be seen in packs. They are highly gregarious birds when in contact with humans.
Breeding
While they breed throughout the year, it is more common in the warmer months. Males approach females and begin an elaborate mating dance; they bob their bodies up and down, while opening and closing their wings like a fan with each bob. This is accompanied by a soft hooting which is timed with the bobbing. If the female is interested, she will remain generally stationary as the male approaches, until copulation is attempted. NestBird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
ing usually occurs in shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s or tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s. Nests usually consist of a platform of twigs. They lay two oval, white and glossy egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s. The eggs usually hatch 3 weeks after they were laid. Both parents incubate the eggs.