Topknot pigeon

Lopholaimus antarcticus

Photo by Ian Colley (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
topknot pigeon (en); pombo-de-penacho (pt); carpophage à double huppe (fr); paloma de penacho (es); hauben-fruchttaube (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Columbiformes
Family Columbidae

Range:
This species is endemic to eastern Australia, being found along the coast from northern Queensland to eastern Victoria.

Size:
These birds 40-46 cm long and weigh 475-600 g.

Habitat:
The topknot pigeon is found in rainforests, temperate forests and dry tropical forests, also using second growths and exotic tree and scrub stands such as camphor laurel and privet.

Diet:
They are frugivorous, taking a wide range of fruits and berries, including those of exotic species such as camphor laurel.

Breeding:
Topknot pigeons breed in June-January. They are monogamous and nest in solitary pairs. the nest is a flimsy platform of stick, placed in the crown of a tree, among bushy branches or vines, 2-12 m above the ground. The female lays 1 egg which is incubated by both sexes for about 24 days. The chicks are fed regurgitated crop milk by both parents and fledge about 24 days after hatching.

Conservation:IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as common, but the population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and unsustainable levels of exploitation.