Sue - it's difficult to say whether this was a late or early fledgling since
the crested pigeon breeds all year round in Canberra.
In the past week the pair in my neighbour's backyard have just fledged their
3 successive brood from the same nest, and are already showing signs of
trying for a fourth. The only interruption they had following their
successful breeding last July (as reported in Gang-gang) was when the shrub
was cut down during mid-incubation of the followup and they had to relocate
to one nearby.
The nests I have watched over the years indicate that the crested pigeon is
a surreptitious feeder of young in the nest, they tend to keep brooding and
you don't really see the young until they're about ready to leave, with the
only sign being the raised height of the parent. Also they fledge as an
almost exact though somewhat smaller replica of the adult, complete with
crest and soon become indistinguishable.
So don't despair too much, I suspect it's just become another of the many
crested pigeons now frequenting Canberra, whereas 20 years ago they were
rarely seen. The above helps explain why they have been so successful.
Jack Holland
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