Definitely a youngish White-headed Pigeon. They, like the Pacific Koel and Channel-billed Cuckoo are slowly moving south. In 1997 while working in the “Eden Woodchip Concession” Wayne Braithwaite and I recorded the then
furthest known southern record for the species, about 1 km from the Victorian border. They are now regular in eastern Victoria and have become a visitor locally in small numbers.
Mark
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Sent: Friday, 3 November 2023 9:49 PM
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Subject: [Canberrabirds] Mystery Pigeon in Wamboin
Hi,
The attached photos are of a pigeon that came into our bird feeder
yesterday (in Wamboin), and hung around for a few hours.
I have no idea what it is - it has the size and jizz of an imperial or
mountain pigeon but I can't identify it from the references I have
access to. It looks a bit like the Buru Mountain-Pigeon but I can't
imagine there'd be too many of those in Australia!
I assume it's an aviary escapee, though I hadn't realised this type of
pigeon was even kept in aviaries. Any ideas?
David
