Crested Pigeon, Botanic Park, Adelaide

Crested Pigeons are one of my favourite birds. We have a number resident in our garden and they have even nested several times within a few metres of our house. When the breeding season has been successful I have seen up to 35 Crested Pigeons sitting on the power lines running past our property. Elsewhere in Murray Bridge I have even seen about 60 in a loose flock sitting on power lines along the road.

Crested Pigeon, Botanic Park, Adelaide

Crested Pigeons are widespread throughout Australia except for the driest parts of the inland, southern Victoria and they are absent from Tasmania. They are also largely absent from the northern most parts of Australia. This distribution is changing and some Crested Pigeons can be found in the Melbourne region, for example, something that was rare as recent as a decade ago.

Crested Pigeon, Botanic Park, Adelaide

Crested Pigeons are ground feeders and can often be seen feeding in parks in loose flocks numbering in the dozens. This is the case in Botanic Park between the Adelaide Botanic Gardens and the Adelaide Zoo where the photos on this post were taken.

Crested Pigeon, Botanic Park, Adelaide

The birds in these photos were busy displaying to one another, more interested in breeding than in my wife and I having afternoon tea in beautiful park on a lovely spring afternoon.

Further reading:

• Crested Pigeon nesting
• Crested Pigeons by the dozens
• Birds in the garden plus one reptile
• A panic of pigeons
• Crested Pigeons as pet birds (one of my most popular articles)
• A crested Pigeon caught by surprise

Botanic Park, Adelaide