BetterBirding
Bird guidePartridge Pigeon

Distinctive yellow or red facial skin makes this pigeon unmistakable; two colour forms exist in separate parts of northern Australia.

Spot this speciesRead on Wikipedia
⚠️QLD: Vulnerable
🌿Endemic to Australia

At a glance

FamilyPigeons and Doves
SizeMedium
RarityUncommon
HabitatMarine and coastal; usually found over open ocean, offshore waters, islands, headlands, and other coastal areas.
Best timeMost reliable in Northern Territory from June to October.

Sounds

Sound sample
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Recorded by Colin Trainor

Range map

Range map

141visible hotspots
1682visible records
3states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Plain brown plumage, with white stripe along the edge of the breast. Distinctive facial markings, with comical red (Northern Territory) or yellow (Western Australia) facial skin. Takes flight with a loud clatter of wings.

Behavior

Compare Squatter Pigeon, Flock Bronzewing (with black-and-white facial markings), and both Chestnut-quilled and White-quilled Rock-Pigeons (with pale wing panels).

Gallery

Regional timing

Northern Territory
Peak: June to October1,463 records
Queensland
Peak: July to August2 records
Western Australia
Peak: June to August216 records

Commonly confused with

Chestnut-quilled Rock-PigeonPetrophassa rufipennisIn flight, shows chestnut wing panels, and flies with a loud clattering of wings. Found only on the sandstone area of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, where it can be encountered at locations throughout Kakadu National Park and beyond.→Black-banded Fruit-DovePtilinopus alligatorGenerally hard to find. Yellowish-white head and chest, black breast band, gray belly, dark gray back and wings, and pale tip to blackish tail. Compare Torresian Imperial-Pigeon, an almost entirely white bird, with the exception of black outer wing and black tail tip. Loud, slow, repeated booming call.→White-quilled Rock-PigeonPetrophassa albipennisFound only on the sandstone areas of the Kimberley and Ord-Victoria regions.→
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