Lindsay wrote:
I am aware that Sandgrouse in Africa carry water to nestlings by trapping it in their breast feathers. Does anyone know if pigeons here do the same. Early this week while doing my GBS count I saw a pair of Crested Pigeons circling low over the water in Lake Jerrabomberra. While I watched one bird landed in the water, remained for a few seconds and then took off, heading directly away from the lake followed by its mate. Is there any other explanation for this behavior?
I’ve seen Spinifex Pigeons doing this at a small ephemeral waterhole west of Alice Springs in the early summer of ’75. They were late arrivals at the water and the edges of the hole were already packed with pigeons. A local opined the late comers had to land on the water as there was no room left to drink from the edges. Some years later I saw a Rock Dove land on the water at Lake Ginninderra for a few seconds at a point where the water level was at least a meter below a sheer rock wall so there was nowhere it could perch to reach the water. As the pigeons are only on the water for a few seconds the presence of predators may drive such behavior. They could also be carrying water to young, I need to check to see if HANZAB mentions this.
John Layton
Holt.
