White-headed Pigeon
Encyclopedia
The White-headed Pigeon (Columba leucomela) is a pigeon native to the east coast of Australia, belonging to the same genus as the domestic pigeon
C. livia.
The pigeon's habitat is from Cooktown, Queensland
to southern New South Wales
. It can commonly be found in tropical regions, subtropical rainforest
, scrub, watercourses and street trees. Since colonisation of Australia, their numbers have decreased but they have thrived on the introduced Camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora).
The White-headed pigeon's nest
generally consists of scanty twigs and is usually placed high in canopy up to 18 metres. It tends to lay one cream-white egg
. Breeding is mostly from October to December.
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. Wing
s 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, pairs or in small flocks. They are very quiet and elusive. Their flight
is swift and direct. 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".
White-headed pigeons feed on fruit in canopy but can also feed on the ground in the open. It also eats fallen grains in cornfields
.
Rock Pigeon
The Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon, is a member of the bird family Columbidae . In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon"....
C. livia.
The pigeon's habitat is from Cooktown, Queensland
Cooktown, Queensland
Cooktown is a small town located at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs in 1770. At the 2006 census, Cooktown had a population of 1,336...
to southern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. It can commonly be found in tropical regions, subtropical rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
, scrub, watercourses and street trees. Since colonisation of Australia, their numbers have decreased but they have thrived on the introduced Camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora).
The White-headed pigeon's nest
Nest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
generally consists of scanty twigs and is usually placed high in canopy up to 18 metres. It tends to lay one cream-white egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
. Breeding is mostly from October to December.
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
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
with a glossy back area. Wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
s and tail are black. The bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
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, pairs or in small flocks. They are very quiet and elusive. Their flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
is swift and direct. 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".
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
.