Species guide
Crested Pigeon: how to recognise it
A bird of Europe and Oceania. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © JJ Harrison · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Ocyphaps lophotes
- Family
- Pigeons and Doves
- Size
- About 31–35 cm
- Habitat
- Open country, farmland, parks and towns
- Found in
- Europe and Oceania
The key marks
A grey-brown pigeon with a tall, thin black crest and a bronze-pink gloss on the wings.
Voice
A soft, low “ooo-ooo” cooing.
Good to know
When it takes off, its wing feathers make a whistling sound that acts as an alarm for other pigeons.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in open country, farmland, parks and towns. It is especially common in Australia. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.