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The white-quilled rock pigeon (''Petrophassa albipennis'') is a dark brown rock pigeon with a white patch on its wing. It has distinctive pale lines across its face curving above and below its eye. It is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is rock dweller found roosting on sandstone cliffs and towers in the
There are two species of rock pigeon in Australia, the white-quilled and the chestnut-quilled. Their name reflects their habitat specialisation of sandstone gorges and rocky escarpments.
''Petrophassa albipennis'' was identified and named by John Gould in 1841. It reflects the aptness of the name that no alternatives have ever been recorded. The genus name derives from Greek words: ''petros'' meaning rock (its preferred habitat) and ''phassa'' a wild pigeon giving ''Petrophassa,'' and the species name derives from the Latin ''albus'' meaning dull white and ''penna'' meaning feather leading to ''pennis'' meaning -winged referring to the large white patch on its wing when spread.
Two subspecies are recognised:
* ''P. a. albipennis'' - Gould, 1841 which is found in the Kimberley of Western Australia (WA), and in northwest Northern Territory (NT) as far east as the upper Daly River catchment.
* ''P. a. boothi'' - Goodwin, 1969 which has a limited distribution around the Victoria River in the Northern Territory.
File:The birds of Australia (16839236676) (cropped).jpg, White-quilled rock pigeon (Cropped extract from ''The Birds of Australia'', Gould 1848)
File:White-quilled Rock-Pigeon 02.jpg, White-quilled rock pigeon, The Grotto, Wyndham, Western Australia
File:White-quilled Rock Pigeon, Wyndham, Western Australia 01.jpg, White-quilled rock pigeon perched on an escarpment, The Grotto, Wyndham, Western Australia
File:White-quilled Rock-Pigeon 03.jpg, White-quilled rock pigeon showing typical jizz, Moochalabra Dam, near Wyndham, WA
Kimberley
Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to:
Places and historical events
Australia
* Kimberley (Western Australia)
** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley
* Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania
* Kimberley, Tasmania a small town
* County of Kimberley, a ...
, WA and east of the Victoria River, NT. It is endemic to Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
Taxonomy and systematics
There are two species of rock pigeon in Australia, the white-quilled and the chestnut-quilled. Their name reflects their habitat specialisation of sandstone gorges and rocky escarpments.
''Petrophassa albipennis'' was identified and named by John Gould in 1841. It reflects the aptness of the name that no alternatives have ever been recorded. The genus name derives from Greek words: ''petros'' meaning rock (its preferred habitat) and ''phassa'' a wild pigeon giving ''Petrophassa,'' and the species name derives from the Latin ''albus'' meaning dull white and ''penna'' meaning feather leading to ''pennis'' meaning -winged referring to the large white patch on its wing when spread.
Two subspecies are recognised:
* ''P. a. albipennis'' - Gould, 1841 which is found in the Kimberley of Western Australia (WA), and in northwest Northern Territory (NT) as far east as the upper Daly River catchment.
* ''P. a. boothi'' - Goodwin, 1969 which has a limited distribution around the Victoria River in the Northern Territory.
Description
The white-quilled rock pigeon is a large mid-brown to reddish-brown pigeon. It has wings measuring 122 to 145 mm and a bill 11.0 to 14.5 mm in length. Subspecies ''albipennis'' weighs 117 to 156 grams while the smaller subspecies ''boothi'' weighs between 103 and 142 grams. It has white spots on its chin and forehead. The orbital skin is grey. Although their common name derives from the white wing panels visible in flight, its facial markings are also distinctive. There are thin, pale lines "across the face, from the base of upper mandible curving above and behind eye, and from lower mandible below eye and curving across sides of head." Subspecies ''albipennis'', found mostly in WA, has large white patches on its wings while subspecies ''boothi'', found in the NT, has smaller patches.Behaviour and ecology
The '' IUCN Red List'' identifies the pigeon's conservation status as Least Concern (LC) but its Northern Territory Conservation Status is listed as Near Threatened (NT). The pigeon's habitat is rocky escarpments and gorges where they move easily among the rocks and boulders. They share a distinctive jizz with the chestnut-quilled rock pigeon, often appearing on a prominent rock or ledge with their body held horizontally, their tail held clear of the ground and their wings drooping below their tail. The white-quilled rock pigeon's defining characteristics were first recorded when the type specimens were collected by officers of HMS Beagle and detailed in an account of his Australian voyages of the Beagle by hercommander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
, John Lort Stokes:
They fly with a characteristic loud clattering of wings, often gliding from one high prominence to another. They feed in adjacent grassy woodlands but return to their escarpments when startled.
Gallery
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1259271 white-quilled rock pigeon Birds of the Northern Territory Birds of Western Australia Endemic birds of Australia white-quilled rock pigeon Taxonomy articles created by Polbot