Crested Pigeon

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The crested pigeon is a bird found widely throughout mainland Australia except for the far northern tropical areas. Only two Australian pigeon species possess an erect crest, the crested pigeon and the spinifex pigeon. The crested pigeon is the larger of the two species. The crested pigeon is sometimes referred to as a topknot pigeon, a common name shared with the reddish crested Lopholaimus antarcticus of Eastern Australia.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

1. 01

   Tall, slender black spike-crest

   Prominent and upright from the crown, thin and spike-like, visible even when relaxed.

2. 02

   Iridescent multi-coloured wing patch

   Flashes of metallic green, bronze, and purple on the upper wing coverts, especially visible in sunlight.

3. 03

   Bright orange to reddish eye-ring

   A conspicuous ring of bare, colourful skin surrounds the eye.

4. 04

   Fine black wing bars

   Several narrow black bars extend across the grey upper wing coverts, creating a barred pattern.