Food of the Crested and Common Bronzewing Pigeons in Inland New South Wales.

Abstract

Crop contents of pigeons were studied near Griffith, NSW. For 740 crested pigeons (Ocyphaps lophotes) in pastoral country, food was 85.5% seeds, 13.5% green leaf and 0.7% insects and other animals, by volume. The most important were seeds of introduced weeds and pasture plants. In drought the pigeons survived mainly on seeds of the introduced weed Paterson's Curse (Echium lycopsis) and during high rainfall they fed mainly on the abundant herbage. On roadsides, during a 6-month period, spilled wheat was 46.9% of food and the rest was introduced weed seed.Common bronzewings (Phaps chalcoptera) ate mainly seeds, 98.8% of food; 79% of food was from cultivated plants and introduced weeds. The most important single source was waste wheat seed, but in late winter and spring, native seeds were important. Both species are secure for the present; further development of agriculture might favour the crested pigeon and affect adversely the bronzewing.