Crested Pigeon – Silence and Sound
Keywords:
Paying attention to details, the small things, sticking with people like you, love the ones you’re with, conventions and gatherings, celebrate movement, making music, using your body as an instrument, commanding the attention of others, occasional shyness, elusive truths, camouflage, silence and sound, bush magic and wisdom, distracting, drawing attention away from dangerous subjects.
General Description:
The crested pigeon (also called the topknot pigeon) is a sedentary bird found throughout mainland Australia, and possesses a notable erect crest. Their call is a repeated ‘whoop!’ unless alarmed, in which case the sound is only made once. They live in grasslands, gardens, pastoral environments, watercourses, sportsgrounds, brush, bushland and wooded areas; their habitat has expanded since human habitation.
Their wings make a distinctive whistling sound when they take off, which often draws the attention of ground predators and can distract them from remaining pigeons, who are also alerted by the sound. Their tail tilts upwards when they land. They are often seen in pairs, but are also very gregarious and will flock. They tend to sit in trees and shrubs for long periods near a water source before descending to drink. Males have a complex mating dance; bobbing their bodies up and down while opening and closing their wings and softly hooting. They nest in shrubs/trees on a platform of twigs, both parents are involved in raising the young. They eat native and introduced seeds.