Food of Eight Species of Columbidae, in the Genera Geopelia, Phaps, Geophaps and Petrophassa.

Abstract

Crop or gizzard contents were studied for Columbidae from north of Western Australia, Northern Territory, south of Southern Australia and Waigani Swamp near Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Food was mainly seeds, listed in tables by botanical name, volume and frequency or by the number of gizzards or crops in which each was found. Some species ate small amounts of vegetative parts or insects.Results for Geopelia humeralis (bar-shouldered dove) and Geopelia striata (peaceful dove) suggest difference in feeding habitat though they were collected together from Waigani Swamp or subcoastal Northern Territory. Results for Petrophassa albipennis (white-quilled rock pigeon) and Phaps histrionica (flock pigeon) from north Western Australia and Northern Territory suggested an effect of drought on composition of feed. Other species studied were Geopelia cuneata (diamond dove), Geophaps smithii (partridge pigeon), Phaps elegans (brush bronzewing) and Petrophassa rufipennis (chestnut-quilled rock pigeon).