Columba leucomela
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The white-headed pigeon (Columba leucomela) is a pigeon native to the east coast of Australia. The pigeon family is a group of stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a worldwide distribution. The white-headed pigeon is in the genus Columba, the same as the Rock dove (C. livia) from which the domestic pigeon is derived. It has no subspecies.
The white-headed pigeon was originally classified as C. norfolciensis, but the 1953 discovery of an 18th-century painting indicated that the description was likely for a different bird on Norfolk Island, perhaps the Pacific emerald dove (Chalcophaps longirostris). It is most closely related to the metallic pigeon (C. vitiensis).
The white-headed pigeon draws its name from its distinctive white head, neck, breast, and belly. In males, the wings are slate grey, along with the tail. The upper parts are grey black, with a green or purple iridescence. The bill is pink to dark red, but with a yellow or white tip. The legs and feet are pink to red. Females appear similar to males, but their white colouration is less brilliant and more muddied. Juveniles are similar to females, but... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Healesville Sanctuary | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Taronga Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Adelaide Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Ipswich Nature Centre | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Sea Life Sydney Aquarium | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Wild Life Sydney | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Birdworld Kuranda | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Kuranda Koala Gardens | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Caversham Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-headed Pigeon sighting in Sydney on a given day, based on 91 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 171st most-seen of the 243 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-headed Pigeon in Sydney on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-headed Pigeon sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate White-headed Pigeon sightings, Sydney ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Brisbane (Australia, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-headed Pigeon is recorded against all the birds logged in Sydney (91 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.
