- Geophaps scripta
Identification
26–32 cm (10-13 in).
- Greyish-brown overall plumage
- Black and white stripes on face and throat
- Bluish-grey orbital skin
- Blackish-brown tail
- Dark brown upper wing-coverts
- Iridescent green or violet wing patches
- Purple legs and feet
- Black bill
- Dark iris
Sexes are similar. Juveniles have duller colouring, and the paler facial skin.
Distribution
Australia: found in Queensland and New South Wales.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are two subspecies[1]
- G. s. peninsulae:
- North East Queensland (Cape York Peninsula to Burdekin River)
- G. s. scripta:
- Central Queensland and extreme northern New South Wales
Habitat
Grassy woodlands and open forests dominated by eucalypts.
Behaviour
Breeding
Their nest is a ground scrape, sparsely lined with grass and is placed beneath a tussock of grass. Their clutch contains 2 two glossy white eggs which are incubated for 17 days.
Diet
Their diet consists mostly of seeds with the addition of some insects.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Baptista, L. F., P. W. Trail, and H. M. Horblit (2020). Squatter Pigeon (Geophaps scripta), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.squpig1.01
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Squatter Pigeon. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Squatter_Pigeon
