J 
FLOCK-PIGEON. 
flanks sandy-brown, becoming paler on the shorter under tail-coverts, the long ones 
grey, with sandy-white tips ; quills pale brown, with a patch of chestnut towards the 
base ; “ Bill brown ; iris dark brown ; tarsi and feet in front leaden-blue, back of 
tarsi flesh-red ” (J. P. Rogers). Total length, about 317 mm. ; culmen, 24 ; wing, 193 ; 
tail, 83 ; tarsus, 26. 
Adult female. Differs from the adult male in having the entire upper -parts, including the 
head, darker sandy-brown, as also a wide gre 3 dsh-brown band on the fore-neck 
and breast, the black on the chin and tliroat only faintly indicated, and the forehead 
inclining to whitish ; wing-speculum very faintly indicated and the white tips to the 
primaries absent. Total length, about 303 mm. ; culmen, 24 ; wing, 190 ; tail, 83 ; 
tarsus, 26. 
Immature male. Similar to the adult female, but with the fore-part of the head white, as in 
the male, and with the white spots and white tips to the primaries. 
Immature female. Differs from the adult in having the wing-coverts and tips of quills 
margined with whitish, as also the feathers of the fore-neck ; the black throat-patch 
scarcely indicated ; a certain amount of chestnut on the under mng-coverts like that 
of the quill lining. 
Nest. “ The bare ground, under any convenient low covert — tussock or bush — on the 
plains ” (Campbell). 
Eggs. “ Clutch two : elliptical in form ; texture of shell fine but strong ; surface glossy ; 
white, with a slight creamy tone. Dimensions in inches 1.32 to 1.24 by .98 ” 
(Campbell). 
Breeding season. November to February (Ramsay) ; July and August (North) ; April to 
July (Bemey) ; February and September (Berney) ; December to March (Campbell). 
Sturt* says that in the end of March and the beginning of April, these Pigeons 
collect in large flocks and Hve on the seed of the rice-grass. During the short 
period this harvest lasts, their flavour is most delicious, but at other times it is 
indifferent. 
Writing to me from Western Australia, Mr. Tom Carter, says : “ Several 
years may pass without a bird being observed ; when that district is blessed with 
good rains, great flocks are to be seen as long as grass-seeds are plentiful. Small 
numbers were noted on the Minilga River plains in 1887, and a few on the coast 
at Point Cloates early in 1890 and again in 1893. I do not recollect seeing any 
more until 1900, which was a record wet year throughout the North-west. Old 
birds were continually seen throughout that year. In December, bush-fires 
burnt out the country from Lyndon River to Minilga River, an area 100 miles 
square. The following January, on the Lower Lyndon River, the Pigeons were 
watering in countless m 3 U'iads, flock succeeding flock, and the roar of their wings 
was like the noise of a heavy surf on a reef. I noticed that the birds alighted 
all over the surface of the water to drink, and all seemed to be in a frantic 
hurry, flying off after what must have been a very short drink. On the open 
plain, just where the fire had ceased, flocks were greedily feeding in such 
numbers as to hide the ground.” 
* Narr. Exped. Gentr. Austr., App., p. 42 (1849). 
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