Squatter Pigeon

1. Bold black and white facial stripes

2. Broad white stripes along the flanks

3. Most often seen walking on the ground in open woodlands

Squatter Pigeons forage for seeds from a wide range of grasses, legumes, forbs, and shrubs, supplementing their diet with insects during the wet season. They are usually seen in pairs or small groups but can form larger flocks outside the breeding season. Breeding can occur year-round, depending on local conditions, with nests being simple scrapes on the ground, lined with grass or leaves and sheltered by vegetation. Typically, two eggs are laid, and both parents share incubation duties for about 16 days; chicks remain in the nest for 2–3 weeks and are dependent on parents for another month.

Squatter Pigeons inhabit the grassy understorey of open, dry Eucalyptus woodlands and sometimes savannas, mostly west of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland and formerly into northern New South Wales. They are usually found near water sources, such as rivers, creeks, or waterholes, and prefer areas with patchy, open grass cover on sandy or gravelly soils. They are most active on the ground, especially along roadsides and tracks, and are reluctant fliers, often running away when disturbed. Roosting occurs in low trees at night.