Leucosarcia melanoleuca
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The wonga pigeon or wonga wonga (Leucosarcia melanoleuca) is a pigeon that inhabits areas in eastern Australia with its range being from Central Queensland to Gippsland, eastern Victoria, Australia. Previously they could be found as far north as Cairns and as far south as the Dandenongs, but due to land clearance, shootings in the 1940s for crop protection, and fox predation, they are rarely seen in these areas, but their populations have improved.
The wonga pigeon is a large, plump pigeon that has a short neck, broad wings, and a long tail. Its length varies from 38 to 40 centimetres (15.2 to 16 inches). It has pastel blue-grey back feathers. The head fades to a creamy-white colour. The underside is white with dotted dark grey spots such that a white V can be seen on its chest. Their eyes are a dark red-brown colour and they have pink eye-rings that encircle them. Legs are red and the sexes appear identical but immature pigeons are browner with a less distinct V pattern.
They are very elusive birds, more often being heard but not seen, producing explosive wing claps when disturbed. They tend to occur on the ground... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Wonga Pigeon sighting in Lamington National Park on a given day, based on 2,559 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 14th most-seen of the 171 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and September–November
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Wonga Pigeon in Lamington National Park on a given day, against about 40% in May, the lowest month.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Wonga Pigeon sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Wonga Pigeon sightings, Lamington National Park has the highest daily chance: about 60%. Next come Springbrook National Park (Australia, about 20%) and Blue Mountains National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Columbidae
The closest relatives of the Wonga Pigeon that you can see in Lamington National Park (family Columbidae, Pigeons and Doves) are Brown Cuckoo-Dove (about 50%), Topknot Pigeon (about 30%) and White-headed Pigeon (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Wonga Pigeon is recorded against all the birds logged in Lamington National Park (2,559 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
