Crested Pigeons, Adelaide Zoo
. Crested Pigeon in the Adelaide Zoo
Adelaide Zoo has an excellent collection of birds, both Australian and non-Australian birds. In addition to those kept in aviaries, there is a thriving population of local birds which come in to feed in the animal enclosures.
Crested Pigeons are in evidence everywhere and on this occasion I managed a few good shots of some. This is generally very easy for they move quite unafraid amongst the zoo visitors. Those shown on today’s photos were feeding in the Emu enclosure, along with a few Spotted Turtledoves for good measure.
Emu with Crested Pigeons and Spotted Turtledoves in the Adelaide Zoo
Crested Pigeon in the Adelaide Zoo
Flock Bronzewing Pigeon, Adelaide Zoo
Flock Bronzewing Pigeon, Adelaide Zoo
The Flock Bronzewing pigeon is a bird of the arid grass zones of northern and central Australia. It can sometimes form large flocks, especially when coming in to watering points. It is one species I would really like to see in its natural habitat. This bird, a male, was in an aviary in the Adelaide Zoo.
Flock Bronzewing Pigeon, Adelaide Zoo
Spotted Turtledove, Adelaide Zoo
Spotted Turtledove, Adelaide Zoo
The Spotted Turtledove is an introduced bird species in Australia. It has become common in many parts of the country, especially in our cities and larger towns. In some parts it is almost in pest numbers, taking valuable food and nesting materials from native species. Some people find its incessant cooing call to be very annoying, although I sometimes find it to be somewhat soothing – until it goes on for hours!
The bird shown in today’s photo was wandering around in the grounds of the Adelaide Zoo here in South Australia. It wasn’t part of the zoo’s excellent bird collection but was rather taking advantage of food left for animals on display – and food items dropped by careless human visitors.
Rose-crowned Fruit-dove
Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, Adelaide Zoo
On a recent visit to Adelaide Zoo, I focussed particularly on bird species. This zoo has an excellent collection of Australian birds plus a few exotics.
I managed this one photo of a Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, a species I have yet to see in the natural state. Sorry that the photo is slightly blurred – it was taken through the wire netting of the aviary.
Australia has six species in the family known as fruit-doves. Their diet is predominantly fruit, of course. This colourful species can be found in the northern extremes of Western Australia and the Northern Territory and from Cape York in Queensland down the eastern coast to about the Sydney region, sometimes even further south.
More Crested Pigeon photos
Crested Pigeon
Yesterday I shared four photos of a Crested Pigeon taken recently in our garden. Today I show another four photos of this lovely species which is a resident breeding species here.
Crested Pigeon
Crested Pigeon
Crested Pigeon