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11

White-quilled Rock-Pigeon (Petrophassa albipennis) Alternate name(s): "Rock-pigeon*" Size: 26-29 cm Weight: 105-155 g

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Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description White-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 white panel in their upperwings. Sometimes some of that white 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 dark-grey. Twitcher's tip We have noticed that both species of Rock-Pigeon, White-quilled and Chestnut-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.

Taxonomy, classification See White-quilled Rock-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-quilled Rock-Pigeon is available HERE . There are two races of White-quilled Rock-Pigeons, both of which are endemic to tropical northern Australia. Nominate race "albipennis" populates the Kimberley, northward of a line from Derby to Ord River, WA, and just across into the far-western NT. Farther to the East, in an area of the NT ranging from the Victoria River and Judbarra/Gregory NP in the South-west to about Katherine in the North-east, race "boothi" is found. White-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.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "albipennis" P. Brown reports spotting White-quilled Rock-Pigeons, nominate race "albipennis", at Lake Argyle, near Kunnunurra, WA, in April 2018, and at Keep River NP, NT, in November 2018. M. Eaton found White-quilled Rock-Pigeons, nominate race "albipennis", at Keep River NP, NT, in July 2020.

Photos

Race "albipennis"

ADULT

PAIR

Lateral view of a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon cock, back, cooing for its partner; these are the bird whose calls were recorded on 18 November 2018 (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Frontal/ventral view of a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Keep River NP, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Keep River NP, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Keep River NP, NT, July 2020]

Near-lateral view of a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Keep River NP, NT, July 2020]

Near-lateral view of a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Keep River NP, NT, July 2020]

Near-lateral view of a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon; note the white wing panel (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Keep River NP, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon looking at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Keep River NP, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Keep River NP, NT, July 2020]

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

Lateral view of a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon; note the single speck of purple iridescence (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Lateral view of a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

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

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

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

Three White-quilled Rock-Pigeons (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Keep River NP, NT, July 2020]

White-quilled Rock-Pigeon ducking for cover in tall grass (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Dorsal view of a White-quilled Rock-Pigeon banking to land; note the characteristic white panels on the upperwings
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

White-quilled Rock-Pigeons retreating to a rocky crag; click on image for wider overview (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 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.

wqrpige_pb_20181118.m4a

albipennis (Keep River NP, NT)

Courting

© PB

More White-quilled Rock-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.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Sat, 26 December 2020, 16:59 +00:00