Crested Pigeon

Crested Pigeon

Ocyphaps lophotes

Silhouette: Jarrad Barnes · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Sydney

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

7,301 Verified sightings at Sydney
2,808 In all 15 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Crested Pigeon

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 →

Sounds

Song1:17

Australia · 2025

© Peter Boesman · XC1066769 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Flight noise0:06

Australia · 2021

© Marc Anderson · XC692682 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Alarm flight0:08

Australia · 2021

© Toby Esplin · XC666740 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~70%
2 Hattah-Kulkyne National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~50%
3 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~50%
4 Cape Range 🇦🇺 Australia
~40%
5 Flinders Ranges National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~40%
6 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
7 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
8 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
9 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
10 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
11 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
12 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
13 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
14 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
15 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
~40%
2 Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia
~40%
3 Brisbane 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
4 Perth 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 San Diego Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Prague Zoo 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
3 Zoo Pilsen 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
4 Parc Phœnix 🇫🇷 France In captivity
5 Tennessee Safari Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
6 Toledo Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
7 Kyiv Zoo 🇺🇦 Ukraine In captivity
8 Fonghuanggu Bird and Ecology Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan In captivity
9 Paignton Zoo 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
10 Lisbon Zoo 🇵🇹 Portugal In captivity
11 Kentucky Down Under 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
12 Wilhelma 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
13 Blank Park Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
14 Fort Wayne Children's Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
15 Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
16 Zoologischer Garten Magdeburg 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
17 Attica Zoological Park 🇬🇷 Greece In captivity
18 Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden 🇭🇺 Hungary In captivity
19 Auckland Zoo 🇳🇿 New Zealand In captivity
20 Cleres Zoological Park 🇫🇷 France In captivity
21 Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
22 Birdworld 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
23 Paphos Zoo 🇨🇾 Cyprus In captivity
24 Loro Parque 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
25 Van Blanckendaell Park 🇳🇱 Netherlands In captivity
26 Adelaide Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
27 Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes 🇫🇷 France In captivity
28 Parc zoologique de Jurques 🇫🇷 France In captivity
29 Willowbank Wildlife Reserve 🇳🇿 New Zealand In captivity
30 Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens 🇨🇳 China In captivity
31 African Dawn Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary 🇿🇦 South Africa In captivity
32 Santillana Zoo 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
33 Birdland Park and Gardens 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
34 Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
35 Avifauna 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
36 Monkey Park 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
37 Parc exotique de Nguerigne 🇸🇳 Senegal In captivity
38 Vogelpark Heiligenkirchen 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
39 Edward Youde Aviary 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China In captivity
40 Ilha das Aves 🇵🇹 Portugal In captivity
41 National Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
42 Rákosův pavilon 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
43 Velemlokárium 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
44 Askham Bryan Wildlife and Conservation Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
45 Bird Park 🇷🇺 Russia In captivity
46 Campbelltown Forest of Wild Birds 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity
47 Mondo Verde, Landgraaf 🇳🇱 Netherlands In captivity
48 Ocean Park Hong Kong 🇨🇳 China In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Crested Pigeon in Sydney?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Pigeon sighting in Sydney on a given day, based on 7,301 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 20th most-seen of the 243 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.

When is the best time to see a Crested Pigeon in Sydney?

August to May

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Pigeon in Sydney on a given day, against about 30% in June and July, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Crested Pigeon?

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.

Is Sydney the best place to see a Crested Pigeon?

Among the best

Of the 4 cities where we can rate Crested Pigeon sightings, Sydney ranks 2nd at about 40%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Melbourne (Australia, about 40%).

Which relatives of the Crested Pigeon live in Sydney?

Same family: Columbidae

The closest relatives of the Crested Pigeon that you can see in Sydney (family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves) are Rock Pigeon (about 40%) and Pearl-necked Dove (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Crested Pigeon sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Crested Pigeon is recorded against all the birds logged in Sydney (7,301 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.

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