White-headed Pigeon

About the White-headed Pigeon

The white-headed pigeon (Columba leucomela) is a pigeon native to the east coast of Australia. The pigeon family is a group of stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a worldwide distribution. The white-headed pigeon is in the genus Columba, the same as the Rock dove (C. livia) from which the domestic pigeon is derived. It has no subspecies.

The white-headed pigeon was originally classified as C. norfolciensis, but the 1953 discovery of an 18th-century painting indicated that the description was likely for a different bird on Norfolk Island, perhaps the Pacific emerald dove (Chalcophaps longirostris). It is most closely related to the metallic pigeon (C. vitiensis).

The white-headed pigeon draws its name from its distinctive white head, neck, breast, and belly. In males, the wings are slate grey, along with the tail. The upper parts are grey black, with a green or purple iridescence. The bill is pink to dark red, but with a yellow or white tip. The legs and feet are pink to red. Females appear similar to males, but their white colouration is less brilliant and more muddied. Juveniles are similar to females, but... Wikipedia →