Habitat
Open woodlands adjacent to water. The western subspecies blaauwi prefers open woodland, and eastern subspecies smithii prefers open eucalypt forest.
Tropical northern Australia from the MacArthur River, NT west to the Kimberley.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is 20,000 (2010) and decreasing.
Status VU
Change in Aboriginal fire regimes, has resulted in a loss of spatial diversity in vegetation structures. Although early fires burn some nests, extensive, late dry season fires, promote uniform vegetation of tall annual sorghum. Areas still under Aboriginal management or have a fire regime that promotes a mosaic of vegetation ages are beneficial.
Habits
In pairs or family parties during the breeding season and in small flocks at other times.
Food
Seeds of grasses and herbaceous plants.
Voice
Very low, single notes or a series of notes more widely spaced, 'kwoor, khwuoor, kwoo-kwoo-kwooor, khwuoor'. A high, clear, 'oo-poo-poor' uttered in larm.
Partridge Pigeon (Geophaps smithii) [XC436981]
by Colin Trainor from Kakadu National Park (near Kakadu), West Arnhem Shire, Northern Territory, Australia (call, song)
Partridge Pigeon (Geophaps smithii) [XC436975]
by id from Kakadu National Park (near Kakadu), West Arnhem Shire, Northern Territory, Australia (song)
Subspecies
Forms superspecies with Squatter Pigeon (Geophaps scripta).
Subspecies, smithii, has bare red skin around the eye, subspecies, blaauwi, has bare deep yellow skin around the eye.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
smithii (Jardine & Selby, 1830) - North-eastern western Australia (from Cockatoo Springs) and northern Northern Territory (to at least McArthur R).
blaauwi Mathews, 1912 - North-eastern western Australia (Kimberley region).
Similar Species
Squatter Pigeon (Geophaps scripta) which is simlar in body markings but has a different head pattern, especially twin white verticle curving marks with black surrounds on the cheek.
References
See References.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet