Alternative name: Flock Pigeon
- Lopholaimus antarcticus
Identification
40–45 cm (15¾-17¾ in); a large grey pigeon
- Swept back crest
- grey in front
- rusty red behind
- Dark grey upperparts
- Dark grey rounded wings
- Paler grey underparts
- Black tail with a pale band
- Red eye
- Red bill with two large bluish-green bumps at the base
Female has a smaller, paler crest than males
Young birds resemble females, with more mottling and have a browner head with a much smaller crest.
Distribution
Australia: coastal eastern Australia (Cape York to Broken Bay southern New South Wales)
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Rainforests and nearby wet forests and woodlands, especially along moist sheltered gullies.
Behaviour
Arboreal.
Diet
Their diet consists of a variety of fruits and berries, which they noisily feed on while hanging upside down.
Breeding
Both sexes build a flimsy stick nest in the crown of a tree, usually among bushy branches or vines, from 2 m to 12 m from the ground. The clutch consists of a single egg which is incubated by both sexes for 24 days. Both adults feed the young, using regurgitated 'pigeon milk' from their crops in the earliest stages.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved October 2018)
- Australian Museum
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Topknot Pigeon. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Topknot_Pigeon
