If you were to stand in Crows Nest and draw a circle with a radius of 50 kilometres you’d pick some 340 species of birds – 16 of which would be pigeons or doves. Like parrots, pigeons and doves evolved in Australia, and with our proximity to both the escarpment and drier woodland areas on the Downs, we are very well placed to see a range of these unique and beautiful birds.
Like ravens and crows which we discussed in the last issue there is no scientific difference between a pigeon and a dove – these are common words that are used somewhat broadly. Having said that, the word dove tends to be applied to the more graceful members of the group, whilst pigeon is applied to the stouter and stronger flying members of the group.
Pigeons and doves aren’t especially aggressive birds and rely on their explosive flight to get themselves out of danger. Many, such as the Crested pigeon, can take off vertically to escape danger. These birds also have an extra narrow eighth primary flight feather on each wing which gives them that startling sound as they take off. Common bronzewings are quite frequent in the area, particularly in parts of Highfields, and I have clocked them at 70kmh flying parallel to my car. This ability for explosive flight has given pigeons very large breast muscles, which alternatively means they’re good eating – and pigeon pie was a well-known dish for European settlers in times gone by.
Our pigeons and doves can be broadly grouped into seed eaters, and fruit eaters. The seed eaters include the tiny Peaceful and Diamond doves and tend to be browner or greyer in colour, whereas the fruit eaters are much richer. Wompoo fruit-doves, Superb fruit-doves and Rose-crowned fruit doves all have patches of brilliant pink, red, purple or yellow. These colours can’t be produced naturally by the birds but come from the carotenoids in the fruits they consume. Any of these birds which are able to show strong colouration are sending the signal that they are fit and healthy, and a good mate. The fruit eating pigeons are found on the escarpment in the rainforest and dense sclerophyll forests and can be surprisingly hard to spot at times. They are usually detected first by their call or the constant sound of scraps of fruit dropping from the canopy. In eating the fruit they also perform an important role in forests by dispersing seeds and helping maintain the genetic diversity of these habitats.
Pigeons have the very rare trait in birds of being able to hold their head down continuously whilst they drink. They can form a seal with their beak and suck the water up, unlike most birds which have to scoop it in their beak and throw their head back to let it run down their throat. Pigeons are also one of the few birds that produce their own type of milk – called crop milk. This is high in protein, fat and amino acids and is derived from the esophagus of the parent.
Rock doves (the grey introduced pigeon most people know) are well known for their homing ability. Scientific studies have finally revealed that they do it through a combination of the position of the sun, and the way they can read the Earth’s magnetic field. Working from the sun is their preferred method, but on cloudy days they revert to sensing the Earth’s magnetic field. This is done by different types of sensory tissue in their beaks, eyes, brains and inner ear.
It’s easy to take these birds for granted, because we see many of them so frequently, but this is really just a bi-product of how successfully they have adapted to the world around them – and in our area we are in a great position to see many of these wonderful birds.
This article first appeared in the Crows Post in August 2025