Common Bronzewing

Scarce in SE Melbourne, feed on seeds of grasses but likes larger seeds from wattles, wheat, tree lucerne. Needs water.

Males have a yellow forehead.

Crested Pigeon

Dry country bird first seen in Bayside in 1994. Now in all open spaces. A symptom of climate change?

Only one with that spiky hair-do!

Spotted Turtle-dove

Common in gardens and bush. Introduced from SE Asia in the nineteenth century.

Has a spangled collar.

Rock Dove

European, introduced almost worldwide. Huge range of breeds including racing and white fantailed pigeons. Few live away from humans.

Has a bump above bill (the “cere”).

Barbary Dove

Domesticated for centuries in North Africa. A few released or escaped cage-birds have nested in Bayside.

Black collar band. Some are white.

Three other pigeons seen in Bayside in the last 10 years are far less common: the Brush Bronzewing and two probably from aviaries, Diamond and Peaceful Doves. All are Australian.