Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae)

Spinifex Pigeon (Geophaps plumifera) - HBW 4, p. 154

French: Colombine plumifère German: Rotschopftaube Spanish: Paloma Plumífera
Other common names: Plumed Pigeon, Rust-coloured Bronzewing; Red-plumed Pigeon, Western/Red-bellied Plumed-pigeon (ferruginea); White-bellied Plumed-pigeon (plumifera)

Taxonomy: Geophaps plumifera Gould, 1842, Northern Territory.
Genus belongs to the large radiation of Australian bronzewings, which also includes the genera Phaps, Ocyphaps and Petrophassa and, more distantly, Henicophaps and Chalcophaps; genus sometimes lumped into Petrophassa. Present species sometimes isolated in monotypic genus Lophophaps. Race ferruginea has occasionally been treated as separate species; at the other extreme, some authors have considered the variation as referring to colour morphs. Three subspecies normally recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

ferruginea (Gould, 1865) - Western Australia, from De Grey R S to Gascoyne R and E to Carnarvon Range; isolated population of intergrades in W Kimberley (E to Camballin).
plumifera Gould, 1842 - Western Australia from Edgar Range through Kimberley region into W Northern Territory, E to Top Springs.
leucogaster (Gould, 1867) - C & E Australia from Petermann Ranges NE to base of Cape York Peninsula, and from McArthur R and Banka Banka S to L Frome (CE South Australia).

Least Concern

Enlarge map

List
Thumbs

Photos

10 photos

In a protected area not far from Alice Spring. Locality Northern Territory, Australia
raniero massoli-novelli 1 August 2001 2 years ago 4.3
Foraging Locality Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
Lindsay Hansch 1 September 2011 1 year ago 4.1
An adult Spinifex Pigeon perched on a rock Locality Kings Canyon, Northern Territory, Australia
Rhonda Hansch 25 August 2011 1 year ago 4
An adult bird Locality Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
raniero massoli-novelli 1 August 2001 2 years ago 3.7
Spinifex Pigeon perched on a rock Locality Kings Canyon, Northern Territory, Australia
Rhonda Hansch 25 August 2011 17 weeks ago 3.6
Standing on a rocky outcrop near waterhole Locality Ormiston Pound, West MacDonnell National Park, Northern Territory, Australia (ssp leucogaster)
Mat Gilfedder 29 September 2006 3 years ago 3.6
This handsome adult pertaining to the race leucogaster was rather confiding while foraging on the ground in the camp site. Locality Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve, Northern Territory, Australia (ssp leucogaster)
Edward Smith 10 August 2011 1 year ago 3.6
Spinifex Pigeon from above Locality Featherdale Wildlife Park, New South Wales, Australia
Arnie Hollyman 6 December 2010 2 years ago 3.1
A bird on a rock. Locality Taronga Zoo, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Josep del Hoyo 6 December 1990 19 weeks ago 3
three individuals on an evening walk Locality Lake Argyle, Western Australia, Australia (ssp race plumifera (white-bellied))
suong le 15 July 2007 1 year ago 2.8