Geophaps plumifera
Silhouette: Jarrad Barnes · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The Spinifex pigeon (Geophaps plumifera), also known as the plumed-pigeon, desert dove or gannaway pigeon, is one of three endemic Australian bird species within the genus Geophaps. It occurs within a broader group known as bronzewing pigeons. This species is listed under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List category of "least concern". It most frequently occurs in arid and semi-arid habitats containing hummock-forming grasses of the genera Triodia and Plectrachne.
John Gould described the Spinifex pigeon in 1842 and there have been several revisions at both the species and subspecies level. The current taxonomy was determined through a comprehensive examination of twelve variables in 712 specimens from 54 localities. Three subspecies are recognised:
Eastern spinifex pigeon (central eastern white-bellied subspecies) Geophaps plumifera leucogaster North-western spinifex pigeon (north-western white-bellied subspecies) Geophaps plumifera plumifera Pilbara spinifex pigeon (brown bellied western subspecies) Geophaps plumifera ferruginea
Geophaps p. subsp. plumifera, is found in the arid areas of north-western and northern Australia, Geophaps... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice Springs Desert Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Spinifex Pigeon sighting in Ningaloo Marine Park on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 76th most-seen of the 102 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–May and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spinifex Pigeon in Ningaloo Marine Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–October and December–February, the lowest months. Those are among Ningaloo Marine Park's wettest months, with about 25 mm of rain a month against almost none in October.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spinifex 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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Spinifex Pigeon sightings, Ningaloo Marine Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Cape Range (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spinifex Pigeon is recorded against all the birds logged in Ningaloo Marine Park (23 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.
