A large ground pigeon of eastern rainforests whose deep, repetitive 'wonk-wonk' call is a familiar forest sound.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
At a glance
FamilyPigeons and Doves
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
Habitatclosed forest, open woodland, grassland, sparse woodland, and waterbodies
Best timeReported across most months in New South Wales, with no narrow seasonal peak.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Peter Boesman
Range map
Range map
1886visible hotspots
95645visible records
2states
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
From behind it presents as a steel-gray bird with uniformly gray wings, back and tail. From the front it shows a white belly, and striking white “V” on the chest.
Behavior
Often heard in the distance, with a loud hooting call repeated roughly twice every second.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
Australian Capital Territory