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Brush Bronzewing (Phaps elegans) Alternate name(s): "Brush Bronze-wing Pigeon", "Little Bronze Pigeon" Aboriginal name(s): Race "occidentalis": "ooda*", "moorytch*" (WA) Size: 25-33 cm Weight: 150-250 g

Australia: Family Group 11 Family Group 11 Table White-headed Pigeon Pied Imperial Pigeon Topknot Pigeon Crested Pigeon Spinifex Pigeon Flock Bronzewing Common Bronzewing Brush Bronzewing Squatter Pigeon Partridge Pigeon White-quilled Rock-Pigeon Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeon Black-Banded Fruit-Dove Wompoo Fruit-Dove Superb Fruit Dove Rose-crowned Fruit Dove Pacific Emerald Dove Nicobar Pigeon Brown Cuckoo-Dove Wonga Pigeon Peaceful Dove Diamond Dove Bar-shouldered Dove Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Brush Bronzewings are medium-sized pigeons. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. male and female are slightly different. Males have a conspicuous rich yellow frons and some more yellow under a white stripe under the eyes. They also have a dark-brown throat patch. Females only have an inconspicuous pale-yellow frons and a small brown throat patch. Otherwise the plumage of both sexes is identical. The front (chest, belly, vent) is blue-grey, while the upper back (nape of the neck, mantle, side patches) is rich brown. The wings and uppertail are duller brown, with some iridescence on the wing feathers, which have dark-grey tips. The irises are brown, the bill is black, while the legs and feet are pink. Twitcher's tip Brush Bronzewings have a darker, more inconspicuous appearance than Common Bronzewings.

Taxonomy, classification See Brush Bronzewing at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Brush Bronzewing is available HERE . Brush Bronzewings are endemic to Australia. There are two races of Brush Bronzewings, which populate the southern and eastern coastal fringe of the continent and Tasmania, including offshore islands. Race "elegans" is found along the East coast, South of about Maryborough, QLD, all the way to about Ceduna, SA, and in Tasmania. Race "occidentalis" is found in the south-western corner of WA, in a roughly triangular area from about Cape Arid NP to the tip of WA and up the West coast to about Jurien Bay, WA. Brush Bronzewing like wet forest and heathland, mostly in coastal regions, but also some types of mallee.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "elegans" B. Hensen reports spotting Brush Bronzewings, race "elegans", occasionally at Wattamolla, Royal NP, near Sydney, NSW. R. Plumtree reports finding Brush Bronzewings, race "elegans", at Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, in January 2018. M. Eaton found a Brush Bronzewing, race "elegans", at Bicheno, TAS, in September 2021, and also at Salt Creek, Coorong, SA, in April 2022. Race "occidentalis" J. Greaves reports finding a pair of Brush Bronzewings, race "occidentalis", in a park in Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, in June 2020.

Photos

Race "elegans"

ADULT

MALE

Near-frontal view of a male Brush Bronzewing; note the deep red-brown mantle and chin patch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Salt Creek, Coorong, SA, April 2022]

Near-frontal view of a male Brush Bronzewing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Salt Creek, Coorong, SA, April 2022]

Near-lateral view of a male Brush Bronzewing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Salt Creek, Coorong, SA, April 2022]

Lateral view of a male Brush Bronzewing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Salt Creek, Coorong, SA, April 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a male Brush Bronzewing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Salt Creek, Coorong, SA, April 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a male Brush Bronzewing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Salt Creek, Coorong, SA, April 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a male Brush Bronzewing, now turning the other way (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, January 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a male Brush Bronzewing (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, January 2018]

Lateral view of a male Brush Bronzewing together with a female Common Bronzewing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Salt Creek, Coorong, SA, April 2022]

Race "occidentalis"

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Note the more conspicuous colouring of the male on the left.

Lateral view of a pair of Brush Bronzewings, male on the left; in the foreground, for comparison, a Rock Parrot
(photo courtesy of J. Greves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]

MALE

Frontal view of a male Brush Bronzewing; note the bright rufous forehead (photo courtesy of J. Greves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Brush Bronzewing (photo courtesy of J. Greves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Brush Bronzewing (photo courtesy of J. Greves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]

Close-up lateral view of a male Brush Bronzewing looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of C. Pears)

Lateral view of a male Brush Bronzewing (photo courtesy of J. Greves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]

Close-up lateral view of a male Brush Bronzewing (photo courtesy of J. Greves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Brush Bronzewing (photo courtesy of J. Greves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Brush Bronzewing (photo courtesy of J. Greves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]

Near-lateral comparison of a male Brush Bronzewing, front right, with a female Common Bronzewing
(photo courtesy of J. Greves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female Brush Bronzewing; note the light-grey forehead (photo courtesy of J. Greves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

As opposed to most other species of doves and pigeons, Brush Bronzewings are not gregarious, not even outside the breeding season.

Food, Diet

Adults: Seeds

Dependents: Regurgitated seeds

Water intake: Daily

All pigeons and doves are strictly vegetarian. Brush Bronzewings are seed-eaters.

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

Doves and pigeons do not, like other birds, open their bills when calling, but they rather "hum" through their noses, with the bill closed.

bbrwing_me_20210928.m4a	(TAS)	Contact calls (male)	© ME
bbrwing_me_20210928_NR.m4a	(TAS)	Contact calls (male); bkgd removed	© ME

More Brush Bronzewing sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.