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White-headed Pigeon (Columba leucomela) Alternate name(s): "Baldy", "Baldy Pigeon" Size: 38-40 cm Weight: 370-500 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 White-headed Pigeons are big pigeons. The plumage of both sexes is very similar. Male White-headed Pigeons have an all-white head, neck and chest and a light buff-grey belly and vent. The underside of the tail is dark-grey, while the uppertail and wings are black. The wing feathers have a glossy sheen. Female White-headed Pigeons have more of a buffy-grey wash in their frontal parts. The eyes of both sexes have yellow irises and are surrounded by red eye ring. The bill is red, with a yellow tip. The legs and feet are yellow-orange. Juvenile White-headed Pigeons have an all buffy-grey head and front, except for the throat and cheek patches, which are white. Their eye-rings, bill, legs and feet are dull yellow. Twitcher's tip Compared to Pied Imperial-Pigeons, the White-headed Pigeon has characteristic red eye rings and much darker wings and tail.

Taxonomy, classification See White-headed 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 White-headed Pigeon is available HERE . White-headed Pigeons are endemic to Australia. They are found only along the Australian East coast, from the tip of Cape York peninsula in QLD in the North to near Melbourne, VIC, in the South. Their natural habitat is dense forest, preferably rainforest, but White-headed Pigeons are adaptable and will also visit urban parks and gardens for food (fruit).

Sightings Click here for sighting information White-headed Pigeons were first spotted by us 20 km East of Gloucester, NSW, in June 2009. Subsequently, they were spotted by us, and reported by various contributors, from different locations along the NSW and QLD coastal fringe. In particular, they are often found in rainforest on the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range. Sightings so far range from the NSW Central Coast to subtropical QLD. C. Hayne reports that a pair of White-headed Pigeons were spotted at Toowoomba, QLD, in October 2011. M. Mearns reports spotting a White-headed Pigeon in Bunya Mountains NP in December 2015. In March 2016 they were found again in the same location and also in Ravensbourne NP, QLD, where they were also seen in June 2016. T. Froia Drummond reports having White-headed Pigeons visiting a bird feeder in Pomona, Sunshine Coast, QLD, in October 2020. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours found a White-headed Pigeon at Peterson Creek, Yungaburra, QLD, in March 2022. This location is near the northern end of the species' range.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Male White-headed Pigeon, left, with a clean (pinkish-)white front, compared to the female's scalloped grey chest/belly.

MALE

Full-frontal view of a male White-headed Pigeon on the ground; note the absence of any grey mottling around the head or neck (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Ravensbourne NP, QLD, June 2016]

Close-up frontal view of a male White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Peterson Creek, Yunguburra, QLD, March 2022]

Close-up frontal view of a male White-headed Pigeon, now looking sideways
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Peterson Creek, Yunguburra, QLD, March 2022]

Frontal view of a male White-headed Pigeon looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[South West Rocks, NSW, July 2017]

Frontal/ventral view of a male White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, March 2022]

Near-frontal view of a male White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, March 2022]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a male White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, March 2022]

Near-frontal and lateral view of two male White-headed Pigeons (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, March 2022]

Lateral view of a male White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, March 2022]

Lateral view of a male White-headed Pigeon on the ground (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Ravensbourne NP, QLD, June 2016]

Lateral/ventral view of a partly moulting male(?) White-headed Pigeon
[Urunga, NSW, August 2015]

Lateral/ventral view of a partly moulting male(?) White-headed Pigeon looking towards the observer
[Urunga, NSW, August 2015]

Close-up near-dorsal/ventral view of a male White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[South West Rocks, NSW, July 2017]

Dorsal view of a male White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, September 2022]

FEMALE

Frontal/ventral view of a female White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, March 2026]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a female White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, March 2026]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a female White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Currumbin Valley, Gold Coast, QLD, May 2014]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a female White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, March 2026]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a female White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, March 2026]

Sex unknown

Five out of a flock of up to 30 White-headed Pigeons
[Near Gloucester, NSW, June 2009]

Three White-headed Pigeons visiting a bird feeder (photo courtesy of Y. English)
[Gosford, NSW, January 2010]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral view of a White-headed Pigeon; the white frontal plumage suggests that this is a male, but the inconspicuous orbital skin may indicate that it is not adult yet (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lamington NP, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2024]

Close-up frontal view of a juvenile White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Anstead, QLD, March 2017]

Frontal/ventral view of a juvenile White-headed Pigeon
[Urunga, NSW, August 2015]

Lateral view of a juvenile White-headed Pigeon looking backwards
[Urunga, NSW, August 2015]

Close-up lateral view of a male White-headed Pigeon with juvenile/immature offspring (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Ravensbourne NP, QLD, June 2016]

Close-up lateral view of a male White-headed Pigeon with juvenile/immature offspring (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Ravensbourne NP, QLD, June 2016]

Lateral view of a juvenile White-headed Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Ravensbourne NP, QLD, June 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a male White-headed Pigeon with juvenile offspring (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Ravensbourne NP, QLD, June 2016]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/covey/flock

Food, Diet

All pigeons and doves are strictly vegetarian. White-headed Pigeons are primarily fruit-eaters. What brings them close to humans is often their taste for the berries of privet.

Near-frontal view of a male White-headed Pigeon taking a fruit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, March 2022]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a male White-headed Pigeon taking a fruit (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Brookfield, Brisbane, QLD, March 2022]

Male White-headed Pigeon drinking water from a waterhole (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Kyogle, NSW, in September 2013]

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.

whpige_art_20140125.mp3

(SE QLD)

Contact calls

© ART

More White-headed 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.

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