Lopholaimus antarcticus
The Topknot Pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus) is a striking and unmistakable arboreal pigeon native to eastern Australia, readily identified by its prominent, shaggy crest. Measuring approximately 40-46 cm in length and weighing 450-650 g, adults display a predominantly dark slate-grey plumage, lightening slightly on the underparts, with darker flight feathers and tail. Its most distinctive feature is a vibrant, reddish-brown, forward-projecting crest that flows from its forehead to the nape, ...
Inhabits subtropical and tropical rainforests, wet sclerophyll forests, and adjacent tall eucalypt woodlands, from coastal lowlands up to elevations of 1500 meters.
Strictly frugivorous, feeding almost exclusively on a wide variety of native rainforest fruits, berries, and occasionally flowers, consumed whole while foraging arboreally.
The Topknot Pigeon is a highly gregarious and diurnal species, typically found in large, nomadic flocks that can number in the hundreds or even thousands, especially when foraging. Its movements are largely dictated by the availability of ripe rainforest fruits across its range. Foraging occurs a...
The Topknot Pigeon is endemic to eastern Australia, with its primary range extending from the Cape York Peninsula in far north Queensland, southwards through coastal and subcoastal areas of Queensland and New South Wales. Its distribution generally reaches the Illawarra region of central-eastern ...
Least Concern
- The Topknot Pigeon is the sole species in its genus, Lopholaimus, highlighting its unique evolutionary divergence. - Historically, flocks were so vast they were described as 'clouds' darkening the sky, leading to intensive hunting in the 19th century. - They are crucial rainforest engineers, ac...