Backyard Birds

White-headed Pigeons

The White-headed Pigeons (Columba leucomela) are pigeon that is native to Australia. It is also known by the names “Baldy” and “Baldy Pigeon”. The pigeon’s habitat is from Cooktown, Queenstown to southern New South Wales.

 
(Columbidae – Please see also Doves)

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The White-headed Pigeon (Columba leucomela) is a pigeon that is native to Australia. It is also known by names of “Baldy” and “Baldy Pigeon”.

 

Distribution / Range:

The pigeon’s habitat is from Cooktown, Queenstown to southern New South Wales. It can commonly be found in tropical regions, subtropical rainforests, scrub, watercourses, and street trees. Since colonisation of Australia, their numbers have decreased but they have thrived on the introduced camphor laurel.

 

Breeding / Nesting:

The White-headed pigeon’s nest generally consists of scanty twigs and is usually placed high in a canopy up to 18 metres. It tends to lay one cream-white egg. Breeding is mostly from October to December.

 

Description:

The size of the pigeon varies from about 38 to 41 centimetres (15.2 to 16.4 inches). Plumage consists of a white head and breast with a glossy back area. The wings and tail are black. The bill is red with a yellowish tip. The eye ring and legs are red and the eyes are pale orange or yellow. Juveniles have a grey crown and breast.

These pigeons are often found alone, in pairs, or in small flocks. They are very quiet and elusive. Their flight is swift and direct.

 

Call / Vocalization:

Their call is loud and gruff sounding like “WHOO!” followed by a gruff inhalation-sounding “uk” (repeated three times). Sometimes the call is a low “oom”.

 

Diet / Feeding:

White-headed pigeons feed on fruit in the canopy but can also feed on the ground in the open. It also eats fallen grains in cornfields.

 

Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org … Additional information and photos added by Avianweb.

 


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Gordon Ramel

Gordon is an ecologist with two degrees from Exeter University. He's also a teacher, a poet and the owner of 1,152 books. Oh - and he wrote this website.

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