Crested Pigeon
By Charlie • March 22, 2008 • 3 commentsCrested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes
Centennial Park, Sydney, Australia. March 2008
The beautiful Crested Pigeon is endemic to Australia and is common in lightly wooded grasslands, watercourses, pastoral areas, sports grounds/golf courses and parks in both rural and urban areas throughout most of the mainland. It is usually found in the vicinity of water, as it has to drink every day, and is absent from the denser forests. A slim, ‘long-looking’ pigeon with a conspicuous thin black crest most of the plumage is grey-brown, becoming more pink on the underparts. If startled, this species takes to the air with a characteristic whistling flight, and glides with down turned wings. The whistling sound is produced by the air passing over a modified primary feather on the wing. Upon landing, the pigeon swings its tail high in the air.
There are only two Australian pigeon species that possess an erect crest. The Spinifex Pigeon Geophaps plumifera is markedly smaller (20 - 24 cm) than the Crested Pigeon (30 - 35 cm), but occupies a very different habitat anyway being found in stony areas with low woodlands and spinifex grasses.
Photographs copyright Charlie Moores
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Tuesday 27th October 2009, 6:42 a.m.
About an hour ago I rescued a crested pigeon from a tree outside the window. It had string entangled around its right leg, and a small tree brance. A Butcher Bird had been attacking it, and the tangled leg looked as though it had been dislocated. Its partner is still hanging around, as they had just raised a clutch of eggs, and the nest was empty. The pair have been here for about two yeaar, if not more.
The rescued bird had damage under the left wing, presumably from the Buthcer Bird. We now have the injured bird in a dark comfortable box, but don’t know what to do with it now.
We will phone Corrumbin Wild Life Sanctuary, and Flahey’s, but they are not open yet. We have tried to give it water, and have used Tee-tree oil, diluted, to clean what damage we could see. It didn’t wnat to drink, so we will use an eye dropper, and hopefully get it to the Sanctuary this morning. Wish us luck. Amber
Amber: Best of luck, thankyou for your thoughtfulness and care, and - if you get a chance - please let us know how things work out. All the best. Charlie
Last night I rescued a crested pigeon which had been clocked by a car and took him inside. We cleaned his grazes (on the right side of his body underwing and also the inner part of the wing or the closest to the body) with peroxide and offered him water with a syringe. He didn’t seem interested and looked as though he was having trouble breathing. Fearing internal injuries, we thought he would pass away so we left him in a dimly lit room, surrounded gently with a warm towel and water. He survived the night - poop everywhere - and his legs and wings seem to work fine, so now I have him in a cage with a warm wheatbag underneath which he seems to like, with water and seed.
If I can, I will hang on to him for about a week until he is stronger and any bruising etc. has healed, then I will release him back down the road (footpath) where we found him and where his mates like to hang out. Hopefully, we will see his flock there and can release him 20 metres or so from them so they can welcome him back.
My question is - what do they like to eat? All Wikipedia says is that they forage for grain. Is there any particular type or are they not fussy? I would like to feed him something that is rich in energy which will make him strong and facilitate his healing if possible.