Brush bronzewing pigeon (Phaps elegans), 1790s

Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW; Purchased 1887; PXD 226, f. 83

Watercolour with gold leaf

Brush bronzewings occur around the coast from Fraser Island to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. There are separate populations in Western Australia and Tasmania.

The Brush Bronzewing inhabits areas with a dense shrub layer, near the coast and behind sand dunes, or further inland in wet or dry forests or woodlands.

Brush bronzewings make a low repeated hoop or whoo call which can continue for minutes.

Brush bronzewings feed exclusively on the ground on seeds of various plants and drink water at dawn or dusk.

Brush bronzewings usually breed between October and January, although eggs or chicks have been found in nests every month of the year.

The Brush bronzewing has two curved bronze iridescent blue-green bars across each wing.