11

Crested Pigeon

(Ocyphaps lophotes)
: "Crested Bronzewing"; MISNOMER: "Toppy" (="Top-knot Pigeon")

Aboriginal name(s): Race "lophotes": "gulawuliil" [yuwaalaraay], "warakoota"; "wuRep" [tjapwurrung];
Race "whitlocki": "kakara" (WA)
Size: 31-35 cm
Weight: 145-260 g

Description

Classification

Distribution

Sightings

Photos

Breeding

Nest

Eggs

Behaviour

Food

Call/s

Physical description

Click here for physical description of this species Click here for a physical description

Crested Pigeons are medium-sized pigeons. The plumage of both sexes is identical. Their characteristic feature is a long, whispy black crest. The head and body are grey, while the wings are brownish-grey, with black stripes and green to purple iridescent feathers with white tips. The tail also has a white terminal band. The yellow eyes are surrounded by a red eye-ring. The bill is grey, the legs and feet are red. Juvenile Crested Pigeons have duller colours than adults. Western race "whitlocki" has narrower black wing bars and much more chestnut-coloured back and shoulders than nominate race "lophotes".

Twitcher's tip

Crested Pigeons can easily be distinguished by their long, whispy crest and by the sound of their unique "whirring" wingbeat.

Taxonomy, classification

See Crested Pigeon 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 Crested Pigeon is available HERE .

Crested Pigeons are endemic to Australia. They are found over most of the Australian continent, with a few exceptions. They are most common in the south-eastern and eastern parts of the continent, i.e. VIC, NSW, south-east QLD and the eastern half of SA. They are also commonly found in the western half of WA and in most areas South of the tropic of Capricorn, except the major sandy deserts from about the Nullarbor to the Pilbara. They are only rarely found in the Kimberley and the northern parts of the NT and QLD. They are not found in the Top End of the NT and the tip of Cape York peninsula; there are no Crested Pigeons in Tasmania either. The division between the two races follows roughly the border of WA with the NT and SA (a line connecting the Kimberley with the Nullarbor). West of that line race "whitlocki" is found, East of the border there is nominate race "lophotes".

Crested Pigeons can be found in various types of habitats, from open forests with grassy undergrowth via open grassland near water to urban environments such as parks and gardens. They are the species of pigeon that most easily adapts to the presence of humans, often nesting close to buildings. They are usually not found in dense forest and woodland, where Common Bronzewings remain the more common species.

Where to look? How to find this species?

Apart from introduced doves/pigeons, Crested Pigeons adapt best to the presence of humans. They are the only native species of pigeon that will regularly be found in urban environments. Their crests make identification easy.

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Race "lophotes"

Crested Pigeons, nominate race "lophotes", are common throughout inland NSW, including the Narrabri area, where they are probably the most common type of dove or pigeon.

They can adapt to human presence and are therefore sometimes quite easy to approach. The sound of their characteristic wingbeat is easily distinguishable from that of any other kind of bird, including other doves and pigeons.

We have also sighted Crested Pigeons, race "lophotes", in various locations in, and to the East of, the Great Dividing Range.

D. Wilczynska reports spotting Crested Pigeons, race "lophotes", at Uluru, NT, in March 2015.

J. Greaves reports spotting Crested Pigeons, race "lophotes", at the Granites Gold Mine, NT, in June 2015.

P. Brown found Crested Pigeons, race "lophotes", in the township of Katherine, NT, in July 2020.

M. Eaton spotted Crested Pigeons, race "lophotes", in Torquay, VIC, in April 2022, and at the Arid Lands Botanical Garden, Port Augusta, SA, in June 2022. Others were found at Yulara, NT, in October 2022.

Click here for sighting information Race "whitlocki"

J. Greaves reports seeing Crested Pigeons, race "whitlocki", regularly in WA, e.g. in Perth, Albany and Broome. They were also spotted at Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, in August 2016.

M. Pears found Crested Pigeons, race "whitlocki", at Exmouth, WA, in May 2021. Others were found at Mellenbye Station, ca. 50 km NE of Morawa, WA, in September 2022.

C. Pears spotted a Crested Pigeon, race "whitlocki", at the Dunsborough golf club, at the base of Cape Naturaliste, WA, in May 2022.

Photos

Race "lophotes"

ADULT

MALE

Close-up near-frontal view of a male Crested Pigeon; the sex was not determined by the bird's morphology, but by its behaviour (it had just been competing with another male)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a male Crested Pigeon
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2023]

PAIR

Pair of Crested Pigeons on the ground
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2012]

Pair of Crested Pigeons resting in the shade (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Gilgandra, NSW, January 2014]

Pair of Crested Pigeons seen preening (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, October 2013]

Family of Crested Pigeons (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2021]

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Crested Pigeon feeding on the ground
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, 2010]

Near-frontal view of a Crested Pigeon looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Crested Pigeon
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, 2010]

Close-up lateral portrait of a Crested Pigeon
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2020]

Close-up lateral portrait of a Crested Pigeon
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2008]

Close-up lateral view of a Crested Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Torquay, VIC, April 2022]

Lateral view of a Crested Pigeon; note how here the speculum shows a spectrum of colours...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2009]

... while here the Crested Pigeon's speculum remains inconspicuous
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2012]

Lateral view of a Crested Pigeon feeding on a lawn in an urban park
[Walgett, NSW, September 2012]

Lateral view of a Crested Pigeon (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2021]

Close-up lateral/ventral view of a Crested Pigeon
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2011]

Dorsal view of a Crested Pigeon in mellow light (photo courtesy of B. Kinross)
[Beachmere, QLD, September 2014]

Dorsal view of a Crested Pigeon snoozing on a fence gate
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2013]

Size comparison between a Crested Pigeon and a Peaceful Dove
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2012]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Family of Crested Pigeons roosting in a eucalypt tree; two dependent juveniles in the middle are sheltered by their parents
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2009]

Hypermelanistic Crested Pigeons

In October 2022, M. Eaton found two hypermelanistic Crested Pigeons (with excess dark colour pigmentation) at Yulara, NT.

Lateral view of an hypermelanistic Crested Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Yulara, NT, October 2022]

Lateral view of a resting hypermelanistic Crested Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Yulara, NT, October 2022]

Near-frontal view of a second hypermelanistic Crested Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Yulara, NT, October 2022]

Lateral view of a second hypermelanistic Crested Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Yulara, NT, October 2022]

Race "whitlocki"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Crested Pigeon (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Broome, WA, April 2015]

Lateral view of a Crested Pigeon; note the particularly long upper mandible of this bird (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Austin Bay, near Mandurah, WA, March 2017]

Lateral view of a Crested Pigeon (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Broome, WA, April 2015]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Jan Eggs: 2 Incubation period: 18 - 20 days Fledging age: 21 days

Given the right conditions, Crested Pigeons can breed any time of the year.

Additional information

A. Morris reports that Crested Pigeons like to take advantage of the protection offered by nesting under a Grey Butcherbird nest. There is now a separate page about various bird species nesting under the umbrella of a stronger, protective species.

Crested Pigeon chick that was rescued after it, together with its nest, came down in high winds in September 2011; the chick, in a cardboard box containing the sad remains of the nest, was placed back in the tree where it had come from and business continued as usual; photo courtesy of R. Druce

Nest
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Visitors from Arabia and India:
If you are looking for a pigeon's nest, you may want to check out the nest of a Laughing Dove found by us in Oman.

Type: Rudimentary basket Material: Twigs Height above ground: 1 - 6 m

View of a Crested Pigeon's nest that, considering that it is a pigeon's, is looking pretty solid
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2011]

Fledging-age Crested Pigeon chick in its nest - this bird left the nest hours after the photo was taken, before nightfall
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2017]

Crested Pigeon chick in its nest (photo courtesy of R. Druce)

Crested Pigeon chick in its nest; the second egg did not hatch
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2017]

Crested Pigeon on its nest, in the same tree as a year before
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2012]

Crested Pigeon on its nest of twigs, lined with feathers
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]

Portrait of a Crested Pigeon on its nest
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, April 2006]

Crested Pigeon moving positions on its nest, thereby allowing a good view of one of its chicks (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, August 2017]

Crested Pigeon squatting down to brood its chicks (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, August 2017]

Eggs
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 31 x 23 mm Colour: White Shape: Tapered oval

Crested Pigeon's nest with two eggs in it
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2006]

Crested Pigeon's nest with first one fresh egg...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2018]

... and the next day two; note that the fresh egg is still pinkish and partially translucent
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2018]

Photo of a Crested Pigeon's nest with a close-up view of the two eggs in it; the day after the photo was taken the eggs were gone, fallen prey to a Pied Currawong's appetite
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2006]

A serious potential source of loss for Crested Pigeons: Goannas
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2012]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal Mobility: Dispersive Elementary unit: Pair/small flock

When nesting Crested Pigeons don't mind close proximity to humans. The nest shown above was at a height of about 2 m in a tree right next to our neighbour's driveway. It was built in a tree with dense foliage and a multitude of branches, which is typical for Crested Pigeons. Approaching the nest for a close-range photo was no problem at all; the bird on the nest did not let itself be disturbed.

Males put up displays for the females they are courting from conspicuous places, such as fenceposts.

Male Crested Pigeon displaying its plumage to impress a female (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, September 2014]

Male Crested Pigeon displaying its plumage to impress a female; since he is not posing for the camera, but the female, the "wrong" side is shown here...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2010]

Sometimes there is courtship competition...

Like other species of doves and pigeons, Crested Pigeons are seen to lift one of their wings occasionally, possibly for evaporative cooling.

Crested Pigeon lifting one of its wings; photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg

Pair of Crested Pigeons both lifting a wing
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2011]

You scratch my back...
[Near Narrabri, NSW, 2004]

... I scratch yours!
[Near Narrabri, NSW, 2004]

Food, Diet

Adults: Seeds Dependents: Regurgitated seeds Water intake: Daily

All pigeons and doves are strictly vegetarian. Crested Pigeons are seed-eaters.

Crested Pigeons drinking en masse (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Strzelecki track, SA, September 2018]

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.

crpige_20140411_2.mp3	lophotes (NW NSW)	Contact calls	© MD
crpige_20210112_3.m4a	lophotes (NW NSW)	Male wooing female	© MD

We have also recorded the typical "whirring" wing beat of a Crested Pigeon.

crpige_20150415.mp3	lophotes (NW NSW)	Straight level flight	© MD
crpige_20210112.m4a	lophotes (NW NSW)	Passing by	© MD
crpige_20140423_3.mp3	lophotes (NW NSW)	Arrival	© MD
crpige_20150808_2.m4a	lophotes (NW NSW)	Male's arrival & courting	© MD
crpige_20200302.m4a	lophotes (NW NSW)	Departure	© MD
crpige_20190227.m4a	lophotes (NW NSW)	Pair departure	© MD
crpige_20140423_4.mp3	lophotes (NW NSW)	Short flutter	© MD

More Crested Pigeon sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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