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Flock Bronzewing (Phaps histrionica) Alternate name(s): "Flock Pigeon", "Harlequin Bronzewing", "Harlequin Pigeon" Size: 28-31 cm; wing span: ca. 55 cm Body mass: 260-320 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.47-0.64

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

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Flock Bronzewings are medium-sized pigeons. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. male and female are different. Male Flock Bronzewings have a white frons, a narrow white ring-like ear pattern and a white throat patch. Otherwise the head is black. Their front (chest, belly, vent) is grey, the back (nape of the neck, mantle, wings) is sandy brown. The wing tips are grey, with white spots. Female Flock Bronzewings have a grey frons, a less conspicuous ear mark and a mottled greyish-brown cheek and throat pattern. Back and chest are duller brown than the males'. Otherwise the plumage resembles that of males. The eyes and bill are black, the legs and feet are dark grey-pink. Juveniles resemble females, with juvenile males having light fringes to their wing feathers, giving them a scalloped appearance. Twitcher's tip (Male) Flock Bronzewings are the only Australian doves or pigeons that have a black and white head.

Taxonomy, classification See Flock 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 Flock Bronzewing is available HERE . NB: Reports on ebird of birds submitted by birdwatchers from the Australian Outback tend to be clustered along roads and public areas such as camp grounds; in such cases their distribution is not a good representation of the overall distribution of the species. Flock Bronzewings are endemic to Australia. Their range and distribution are complex; see a field guide for details. Flock Bronzewings are primarily found in the tropical North and the central part of Australia, most notably in the Diamantina and the Channel Country of QLD, to the West of the Paroo-Darling system and to the North of the Lake Eyre Basin (SA/NT), the northern NT/WA border region and in a wide stretch along the Fitzroy River in WA. From there they can disperse into the northern part of WA, the northern half of the NT (except Arnhemland and the south-western coastline of the Gulf of Carpentaria), western QLD and far north-western NSW. Flock Bronzewings have a preference for the open grass plains of the arid interior of the Australian continent.

Sightings Click here for sighting information C. Charles reports spotting Flock Bronzewings near Astrebla Downs NP, south-western QLD, in August 2013. M. Eaton reports finding Flock Bronzewings along the Strzelecki Track, ca. 140 km N of Lyndhurst, SA, in June 2022. Another flock of 1000 birds or more was found 30 km N of Bedourie, QLD, in August 2022. Next, a flock was found at the Cuttaburra Crossing, near Bedourie, QLD, in August 2025. Others were found in August 2025 along the Diamantina Developmental Road in SW QLD.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Pair of Flock Bronzewings; lateral view of a female in front (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Strzelecki Track, 140 km N of Lyndhurst, SA, June 2022]

Lateral view of a pair of Flock Bronzewings (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Strzelecki Track, 140 km N of Lyndhurst, SA, June 2022]

Lateral view of a pair of Flock Bronzewings, male at the front (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Strzelecki Track, 140 km N of Lyndhurst, SA, June 2022]

Lateral view of a pair of Flock Bronzewings, female at the front (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[30 km N of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Lateral view of two pairs of Flock Bronzewing, with a fifth bird in the background (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[30 km N of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

MALE

Near-frontal view of two male Flock Bronzewings, with a female in the background (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Strzelecki Track, 140 km N of Lyndhurst, SA, June 2022]

Lateral view of a male Flock Bronzewing looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Diamantina Developmental Road, QLD, August 2025]

Lateral view of a male Flock Bronzewing looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[30 km N of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Lateral view of a male Flock Bronzewing; note how the nape of the neck appears to be missing because it has exactly the same colour as the soil in the background (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[30 km N of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Lateral view of male Flock Bronzewings - click on photo to see 4 male birds in total (photo courtesy of C. Charles)
[Near Astrebla Downs NP, QLD, August 2013]

Near-dorsal view of a male Flock Bronzewing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Diamantina Developmental Road, QLD, August 2025]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a wet female Flock Bronzewing; this individual has a constrast-rich facial pattern
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Diamantina Developmental Road, QLD, August 2025]

Lateral view of a female Flock Bronzewing approaching water; this individual has a pale facial pattern
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Birdsville Developmental Road, QLD, September 2022]

Lateral view of a female Flock Bronzewing approaching water; this individual has a brownish facial pattern
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[30 km N of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Lateral view of a female Flock Bronzewing approaching water; this individual has a dark throat patch
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Birdsville Developmental Road, QLD, September 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a wet female Flock Bronzewing; this individual has a constrast-rich facial pattern
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Diamantina Developmental Road, QLD, August 2025]

Sex unknown

Lateral view of part of a flock of Flock Bronzewings in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[30 km N of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of Flock Bronzewings having a drink; male at front right, 2 females on the left, and an immature male at back centre (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[30 km N of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/flock

Tightly formed flock of Flock Bronzewings above grassland (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cuttaburra Crossing, near Bedourie, QLD, August 2025]

As indicated by their name, Flock Bronzewings can form large flocks, of up to thousands of birds (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Strzelecki Track, 140 km N of Lyndhurst, SA, June 2022]

Flock Bronzewings feeding in flowering grassland, resembling rocks strewn across the landscape (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[30 km N of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Food, Diet

Flock Bronzewings feeding in flowering grassland after good rainfall (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[30 km N of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Flock Bronzewings feeding in flowering grassland after good rainfall (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Strzelecki Track, 140 km N of Lyndhurst, SA, June 2022]

Flock Bronzewings feeding in flowering grassland after good rainfall (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Strzelecki Track, 140 km N of Lyndhurst, SA, June 2022]

Flock Bronzewings feeding by the side of a dirt road, possibly taking seeds or grit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Strzelecki Track, 140 km N of Lyndhurst, SA, June 2022]

Flock Bronzewings feeding by the side of a dirt road, possibly taking seeds or grit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Strzelecki Track, 140 km N of Lyndhurst, SA, June 2022]

Flock Bronzewings feeding by the side of a dirt road, possibly taking seeds or grit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Strzelecki Track, 140 km N of Lyndhurst, SA, June 2022]

Part of a large flock of Flock Bronzewing having a drink of water (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[30 km N of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Part of a large flock of Flock Bronzewings having a drink of water (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[30 km N of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

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.

There are no recordings of calls yet, but we have recorded the wing beats of Flock Bronzewings.

fbrwing_me_20250809.m4a

(SW QLD)

Flock in flight

© ME

More Flock 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.

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