Topknot Pigeon
Lopholaimus antarcticus
The Topknot Pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus) is a uncommon doves and pigeon found only in Australia, weighing about 496 g. The topknot pigeon is a pigeon native to eastern Australia.
About the Topknot Pigeon
The topknot pigeon is a pigeon native to eastern Australia.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The topknot pigeon is a large predominately slate-grey bird, 40–46 centimetres (16–18 in) in length. The back, coverts and upper secondaries are a darker slate-grey with black quills. The primaries are black, the remaining body in a lighter slate-grey in colour. The chest and hind neck are notched, showing dark bases giving a streaked appearance. The tail is black crossed with a broad grey band. The crest is grey from the cere to the forehead, and russet brown on the crown with black sides. The mandibles are red with a brown tip, the protuberances at the base of the mandibles are bluish-green. Voice: Three distinct calls have been described. The first, 'coo-oo, eee', might be related to nestlings. The second, 'coo-oo, ooo', is distinctly louder but still soft. The third, 'cor-or', is "a quiet, croaky, almost guttural utterance", not unlike the call of the domestic pigeon. During times of flocking and mass feeding, this pigeon has a short raucous call.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Topknot Pigeon can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Topknot Pigeon?
- The topknot pigeon is a large predominately slate-grey bird, 40–46 centimetres (16–18 in) in length. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Topknot Pigeon?
- The Topknot Pigeon is a large sized bird weighing about 496 g.
- Where can you see a Topknot Pigeon?
- The Topknot Pigeon is endemic to Australia, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Topknot Pigeon?
- The Topknot Pigeon is most easily confused with the Grey-chested Dove, the Bare-eyed Pigeon and the Mountain Imperial Pigeon.
- Is the Topknot Pigeon endangered?
- The Topknot Pigeon is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Topknot Pigeon for real
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