WONGA PIGEON PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
The Wonga Pigeon 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 north as Cairns and
as 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 in these areas.
The Wonga Pigeon is a large, plump pigeon
that has a short neck, broad wings and a long tail.
|
|
WONGA PIGEON DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT:
They are very elusive birds
and are only often heard, producing explosive wing claps
when disturbed. They tend to occur on the ground forraging
and are located in rainforests, wet eucalypt
forests, coastal forests, picnic areas, walking tracks,
carparks and gardens.
|
WONGA PIGEON SIZE:
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. They eyes are a
dark red-brown colour and they have
pink eye-rings that
encircle them. Legs are red and the genders appear identical
but immature
pigeons are browner with a less distinct
V pattern.
WONGA PIGEON DIET:
Their
diet consists of
fruit, berries, seeds from native forest trees and the odd
insect.
WONGA PIGEON NESTING AND BREEDING:
The
Wonga Pigeon is monogamous
and
breeds between October and January. It produces
a twig platform
nest with a diameter of 30 centimetres.
The
nest is build from about 3 to 20 metres above
the ground and defending by
breeding pairs. The
pigeon
will sometimes use
abandoned nests from Topknot Pigeons
or Tawny Frogmouths. Two
large eggs are normally
laid. The
eggs are up to 4 centimetres in length.
Crested Pigeon
Fossil Specimens Discovered in The USA
