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Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeons are medium-sized pigeons. Their plumage is highly cryptic. They are vermiculated throughout, with a light-grey and dark-grey vermiculated head, greyish-brown neck with lighter vermiculation, becoming increasingly brownish towards the tail, with mostly brown wing feathers with a darker grey-brown centre and lighter brown edges. The rump and tail are almost all-brown. In flight they show a prominent chestnut panel in their upperwings. Sometimes some of that chestnut can show on the folded wings. The eyes, which have dark irises, are surrounded by a grey warty skin ring. The slender bill and the legs and feet are grey.

Twitcher's tip

We have noticed that both species of Rock-Pigeon, Chestnut-quilled and White-quilled, can show signs of faint iridescence in their wing feathers. While well-known and documented for various species of doves and pigeons, we have not found this mentioned for Rock-Pigeons.

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 Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeon is available HERE .

Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeons are endemic to tropical northern Australia. They have a very limited range, extending from about Pine Creek and Katherine, NT, to the East Alligator River and into Kakadu NP and western Arnhemland, inland of Maningrida, NT.

Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeons have a strong preference for rocky terrain, in particular sandstone gorges and escarpments, with grass and shrubs in between scattered rocks and/or outcrops.

B. Hensen reports spotting Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeons in Kakadu NP, NT, in July 2018.

M. Eaton found Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeons at the same location in July 2020 and again in June 2023.