(lamingtonnationalpark.net.au is under new management, this article previously appeared on the old website and was not written by the new site owners.)
Description
Size:Length of 405-460mm.
Identification: Male and female are similar. It is a large grey bird with an unusual reddish “bun” on the back of the head. The Topknot is easily identifiable by its “hairstyle.” It also features a white bar across a dark tail. It is the largest of the pigeons in Lamington National Park
Other Common Names: Flock Pigeon
Distribution
Habitat:The canopies of Subtropical Rainforest and occassionally adjacent eucalypt forest.
Behaviour
Feeding: The Topknot Pigeon is a nomadic species which seeks out fruiting trees, feeding high in the canopy. Figs and Native Tamarinds are favourites.
Movement: Usually present in small to large flocks, often high over the rainforest. The Topknot is the only pigeon which flies high above the canopy. After feeding, it will often rest in the highest points of rainforest trees. For example, Brush Box trees which tower above the rainforest are favoured resting sites.
Local Information
Distribution: Fruiting figs and other trees on the edges of subtropical rainforest provide the best observation points for the pigeon.
Abundance: Nomadic and highly mobile, the Topknot Pigeon congregates whereever trees are in fruit. This means that the bird is sometimes common but at other times it is absent.
References
Queensland Museum (1995) Wildlife of Greater Brisbane, Queensland Museum, Brisbane.
Reader’s Digest Services (1979) Reader’s Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds, Surry Hills, NSW.