"Flock Pigeons"

[Andy Burton <>]

I suspect that we have the perennial problem of name usage here.

Using Christidis and Boles (C&B) The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories as an accepted reference for names, I suspect that we have the following:

Your observer is familiar with Topknot Pigeons but the Topknot Pigeons with which he is familiar are probably Crested Pigeons Ocyphaps lophotes (see C&B). Hence his vehement denial that these Topknot Pigeons are Topknot (Crested) Pigeons...................because they are not Crested Pigeons. They are Topknot Pigeons Lopholaimus antarcticus a large pigeon / dove of coastal rainforests and wet schlerophyll forests.

Flock (pigeons) Bronzewings Phaps histrionica are birds of the Mitchell Grass plains, and other habitats a long way to the west of Mount Mee and are not to my knowledge migratory, a term that implies a regularity of travel such as found in the birds that your observer describes.

Just to confuse the issue Topknot Pigeons have Flock Pigeon as an alternative name (see Pizzey & Knight).

So to sum  up:

Crested Pigeons are often called Topknot Pigeons and Topknot Pigeons are sometimes called Flock Pigeons.

All as clear as mud and perhaps indicative of a need for care in naming birds.

Andy

> Thanks, Robyn and Brian. No, this
> observer (Mt Me, SEQ) is familiar with Topknot Pigeons and states
> vehemently that these are not they. It's worth noting that, having
> studied entomology at university, his 'eye' can be taken to be good.
> Here, for those who wish to puzzle over them, are his observations of
> these large flocks which have passed over Mt Mee (SEQ) approximately
> once a year from July 1998 to October 2004:
>
> - biggish, dark birds (moderately larger than topknot)
> - plumpish
> - big flocks of 50+
> - deadly silent in steady flight
> - no gliding or 'shooting' - constant wing-flapping
> - fly swiftly
> - flock wheels away on sighting observer
> - often mid-afternoon or later
> - occasionally/rarely feed on the ground
> - definitely a dove or pigeon
> - definitely not topknots
>
> Thanks to you all for your forbearance!
> Judith.
> --
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Judith L-A
> S-E Qld
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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