Skip to main content

Photo: graham_winterflood / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

The Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes) is a member of the Columbidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 204 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Columbiformes
  3. Family Columbidae Pigeons, Doves
  4. Genus Ocyphaps
  5. Species lophotes

Where it lives

Australia (except northern, Tasmania)

Quick facts

Weight
204 g
Diet
Omnivores
Family
Columbidae

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Crested Pigeon is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Crested Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes) belongs to the Columbidae family of the order Columbiformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Australia (except n, Tasmania).

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 204 g, with a wing length of about 16.1 cm and a tail of around 13.4 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 7.4 million km².

Songs & calls

Crested Pigeon — Song

Recorded by Peter Boesman Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Crested Pigeon?

The Crested Pigeon is a large bird that weighs around 204 g.

Where does the Crested Pigeon live?

The Crested Pigeon is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Australia (except n, Tasmania), where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Crested Pigeon belong to?

The Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes) belongs to the Columbidae family, in the order Columbiformes.

What does the Crested Pigeon eat?

The Crested Pigeon is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Crested Pigeon migrate?

The Crested Pigeon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Crested Pigeon endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Crested Pigeon make?

1 real field recording of the Crested Pigeon — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Crested Pigeon's range?

The Crested Pigeon has a mapped global range of about 7.4 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Columbidae

More in Pigeons & Doves

Guides for this bird

Meet the Columbidae

A field guide to the Columbidae family — 352 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.

1 min read

Back to top