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Spinifex Pigeon (Geophaps plumifera) Alternate name(s): "Plumed Pigeon", "Red Plumed Pigeon", "Plumed Bronze-wing", "Plumed Dove", "Red Plumed Dove", "Ground Dove" Size: 20-24 cm; wing span: 30-35 cm Body mass: 70-130 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.40-0.52

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 Spinifex Pigeons are small pigeons. Their characteristic feature is a red-brown cap with a long, whispy red-brown crest. Their plumage is mostly red-brown; different races have slightly different plumages. Race "ferruginea" has a red-brown front (neck, chest, belly, vent), except for a narrow black chest band. Race "leucogaster" has a narrow white chest band above the black one and its belly and vent are also whitish, instead of red-brown. Nominate race "plumifera" has a slightly different facial pattern. Otherwise the races are identical. The frons is grey, the eyes with yellow irises are surrounded by a red eye patch. The upper part of the throat is white. Bill, gape, eyebrow and the lower part of the throat are black, connecting to a grey and a white patch on the cheeks. The wings are boldly striped red-brown, black and grey, with some iridescent flight feathers. The rump is red-brown, the tail is brown.

Taxonomy, classification See Spinifex 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 Spinifex Pigeon 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. There are three races of Spinifex Pigeons, all of which are endemic to the northern half of the Australian continent. Nominate race "plumifera" populates the border region of tropical WA with the Top End of the NT, from about Broome, WA, in the West to the area south of about Katherine, NT, in the East. In this area they are found up to about 500 km inland. Race "ferruginea" is found in WA, in the area between the Gascoyne River and the de Grey River, with an extension of their range from the upper Gascoyne towards the South-East, about halfway towards Kalgoorlie, WA. The range of race "leucogaster" has a very irregular shape (for details see a field guide). This race is found roughly in the southern (subtropical) parts of the NT and the far south-western corner of QLD, much of the eastern NT, up to the eastern half of the South coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria and from there further into QLD, including the region around Mt. Isa, QLD. As their name already suggests, Spinifex Pigeons have a preference for Triodia "Spinifex" grassland and also rocky hills. Being seed-eaters in need of a daily drink, they will stay near water.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "plumifera" A Spinifex Pigeon, race "plumifera", was observed by S. Kirkby in the Hammersley Ranges, northern WA, in June 2011. J. Greaves reports spotting a Spinifex Pigeon, race "plumifera", at the Kununurra, WA, sewage treatment works in January 2016. P. Brown reports finding Spinifex Pigeons, race "plumifera", at Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, in April 2018. Others were found at the Attack Creek Rest Stop, Stuart Highway, NT, in September 2021. Race "leucogaster" C. Charles reports spotting Spinifex Pigeons, race "leucogaster", at Diamantina Lakes NP, south-western QLD, in August 2013. B. Hensen found a Spinifex Pigeon, race "leucogaster", at Ormiston Gorge, near Alice Springs, NT, in July 2018. M. Mearns spotted a Spinifex Pigeon, race "leucogaster", Diamantina NP, QLD, in September 2019. M. Eaton reports finding Spinifex Pigeons, race "leucogaster", near Opalton, QLD, in June 2021, and in Mount Isa, QLD, in July 2021. Others were found between Windorah and Bedourie, QLD, in August 2022, plus some more along the Birdsville Development Road, QLD, in September 2022. They were also spotted at Lake Moondarra, near Mount Isa, QLD, in June 2025. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours found a Spinifex Pigeon, race "leucogaster", at Adels Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, in December 2020. Race "ferruginea" C. Pears reports finding a Spinifex Pigeon, race "ferruginea", in the Pilbara region of WA in July 1992.

Photos

Race "plumifera"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Attack Creek Rest Stop, Stuart Highway, NT, September 2021]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Attack Creek Rest Stop, Stuart Highway, NT, September 2021]

Lateral view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Dorsal view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Race "leucogaster"

ADULT

PAIR

Close-up near-frontal view of a pair of Spinifex Pigeons (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, July 2021]

Close-up near-frontal view of a pair of Spinifex Pigeons (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, July 2021]

Lateral view of a pair of Spinifex Pigeons (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Opalton, QLD, June 2021]

Sex unknown

Close-up frontal view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, July 2021]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, July 2021]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, July 2021]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of ?php include('../fnqlink.php'); ?>)
[Adels Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Opalton, QLD, June 2021]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Opalton, QLD, June 2021]

Close-up lateral view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, July 2021]

Lateral view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Ormiston Gorge, near Alice Springs, NT, July 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Diamantina NP, QLD, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of C. Charles)
[Diamantina Lakes NP, QLD, August 2013]

Near-dorsal view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Opalton, QLD, June 2021]

Dorsal view of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Opalton, QLD, June 2021]

Dorsal view of a Spinifex Pigeon resting on the ground (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Between Windorah and Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Race "ferruginea"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-lateral view from above of a Spinifex Pigeon (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Pilbara, WA, July 1992]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/covey/flock

Close-up near-lateral view of a Spinifex Pigeon in its favourite type of habitat (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, July 2021]

Close-up view of a pair of Spinifex Pigeons in their favourite type of habitat (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, July 2021]

Food, Diet

Lateral view of a Spinifex Pigeon foraging on the ground (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Between Windorah and Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Spinifex Pigeon drinking water (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, July 2021]

Pair of Spinifex Pigeons drinking water (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Isa, QLD, July 2021]

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.

spinfex_me_20210605_2.m4a	leucogaster (W QLD)	Contact call	© ME
spinfex_me_20210605.m4a	leucogaster (W QLD)	Contact calls (Q&A)	© ME
spinfex_me_20210722.m4a	leucogaster (W QLD)	Contact calls (near water; + Brown Honeyeater)	© ME

More Crested Pigeon 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.