Ocyphaps lophotes
Silhouette: Jarrad Barnes · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The crested pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes) is a bird found widely throughout mainland Australia except for the far northern tropical areas. Only two Australian pigeon species possess an erect crest, the crested pigeon and the spinifex pigeon. The crested pigeon is the larger of the two species. The crested pigeon is sometimes referred to as a topknot pigeon, a common name shared with the reddish crested Lopholaimus antarcticus of Eastern Australia.
The species was described in 1822 by Temminck; it is the only species in the genus Ocyphaps, established by G.R. Gray in 1842. The taxon was named for F. Lawson Whitlock, who made important collections of bird specimens in those areas.
The species has also been placed as Geophaps, perhaps allied with Geophaps plumifera. Common names for the species, aside from crested or topknot pigeon, characterise them as a bronzewing or dove that is likewise distinguished by the crest.
The length of the crested pigeon varies... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Pigeon sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 14,881 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 24th most-seen of the 236 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January to March
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Pigeon in Melbourne on a given day, against about 30% in July, the lowest month.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Crested Pigeon sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Crested Pigeon sightings, Melbourne has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Sydney (Australia, about 40%) and Brisbane (Australia, about 30%).
Same family: Columbidae
The closest relatives of the Crested Pigeon that you can see in Melbourne (family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves) are Pearl-necked Dove (about 70%), Rock Pigeon (about 40%) and Common Bronzewing (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Crested Pigeon is recorded against all the birds logged in Melbourne (14,881 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
