White-headed pigeon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White-headed pigeon |
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| male | |
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| female | |
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| Genus: |
Columba
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| Species: |
leucomela
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| Distribution of the white-headed pigeon | |
The white-headed pigeon (Columba leucomela) is a special bird found along the eastern coast of Australia. It belongs to the same family as the common domestic pigeon. This pigeon is known for its striking white head and chest.
Contents
Where Do White-Headed Pigeons Live?
White-headed pigeons live in a wide area, from Cooktown, Queensland in the north down to southern New South Wales. Recently, more of them have been seen in eastern Victoria too.
Their Favorite Homes
These pigeons love places with lots of trees and plants. You can find them in warm, wet areas like rainforests and scrublands. They also like areas near water and even trees planted along streets in towns.
How Their Home Has Changed
When people first settled in Australia, the number of white-headed pigeons went down. However, they have learned to live well with a new tree called the Camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora). This tree was brought to Australia by humans, and the pigeons seem to like it.
What Do White-Headed Pigeons Look Like?
White-headed pigeons are medium-sized birds. They are usually about 38 to 41 centimetres (15 to 16 inches) long. That's about the length of a school ruler!
Their Unique Colors
These pigeons have a bright white head and chest. Their back, wings, and tail are a shiny black color. Their bill is red with a yellow tip, and their eyes are pale orange or yellow. The skin around their eyes and their legs are also red.
Young Pigeons
Young white-headed pigeons, called juveniles, look a bit different. Their head and chest are grey instead of white.
White-Headed Pigeon Behavior
White-headed pigeons are often seen alone or in small groups. They are usually very quiet and hard to spot.
How They Fly and Call
When they fly, they are very fast and fly in a straight line. Their call is quite loud and sounds a bit rough. It sounds like "WHOO!" followed by a quick "uk" sound, repeated three times. Sometimes, they also make a soft, low "oom" sound.
What Do White-Headed Pigeons Eat?
These pigeons mostly eat fruit. They often find their food high up in the trees, among the leaves and branches.
Ground Feeding
Sometimes, they also look for food on the ground, even in open areas. They are known to eat fallen grains in cornfields.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
White-headed pigeons build their nests high up in trees, sometimes as high as 18 metres (about 60 feet). Their nests are usually made of just a few twigs.
Eggs and Breeding Season
They typically lay one cream-white egg. The main time for them to breed and lay eggs is from October to December.
Images for kids
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Male white-headed pigeon
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Female white-headed pigeon
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Map showing where white-headed pigeons live
See also
In Spanish: Paloma blanquinegra para niños
