Flock pigeon, Harlequin bronzewing, Harlequin pigeon
The flock bronzewing (Phaps histrionica ), also known as the flock pigeon, harlequin bronzewing and the harlequin pigeon is a species of pigeon in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to drier parts of Australia.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Nomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
Flocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe flock bronzewing is the most nomadic of the Australian pigeons, and it is difficult to mistake for other Australian species. Fully grown flock bronzewings can range in length from 280–305 mm with a wing length of 189–216 mm. Its weight can range from 260–320 grams.
More than any other Australian pigeon, the flock bronzewing is adapted to the arid plains of the continent. The preferred habitat is open grassland plains, clumped grasses and small shrubs with open spaces. A major area for this type of habitat where the flock bronzewings are present is within the grass plains of the Barkly Tableland.
The flock bronzewing is most abundant within the Barkly Tablelands of eastern Northern Territory and Western Queensland; however, their range is quite large and they will occasionally be found in the Kimberly region of Western Australia, northern South Australia and northwestern New South Wales. They are no longer found in the type locality on the Liverpool Plains, NSW.
The main source of food is the seeds of grasses, herbs and shrubs, though the species occasionally browses on green shoots. With the introduction of cattle into the interior of Australia, the flock bronzewing has adapted to eating the undigested seeds from cattle dung. Some species of seed eaten include the desert spurge (Euphorbia tannensis ), camel bush (Trichodesma zeylanicum ), yellow daisy (Wedelia asperrima ) and river grass (Chionachne cyathopoda ).
The breeding season is variable and relies heavily on the availability of food. In the south of its range, they tend to breed from spring to early summer and in the north, breeding occurs from early to the middle of the dry season. The nest is a scrape in the ground, which is lined with grass and twigs, usually between the shelter of clumps of grass or shrubs. Two white eggs are incubated for 16 days, with the young capable of leaving the nest after a week.
The main impact on flock bronzewings has been through pastoralism. In the mid- to late 1800s, many observers wrote about the enormous flocks of the flock pigeons within areas where they are now just occasional visitors such as northern South Australia and western New South Wales. Pastoralism has affected both populations and range as stock feed on the grasses that the flock bronzewings require for food and nesting sites. Another threat to the flock bronzewing is through predation; they are vulnerable to predation as they lay their eggs on the ground.
