# Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon

*Petrophassa rufipennis*

When taking off, their wings produce a loud, mechanical whistling sound that serves to startle potential predators.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Columbiformes › Columbidae › Petrophassa
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** desert
- **Habitat:** Sandstone escarpments, rocky gorges, and spinifex-covered plateaus.
- **Diet:** Granivorous; feeds on the seeds of grasses and shrubs found in rocky crevices.
- **Range:** Northern Territory, Australia, Arnhem Land Plateau, Kakadu National Park
- **Size:** 28-31 cm in length, weighing approximately 250-300g.
- **Lifespan:** 5-8 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** High-intensity bushfires that destroy seed banks and predation by feral cats.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and shy. Maintain a respectful distance of 5-10 meters to avoid startling the bird. They are not aggressive and pose no risk to humans; simply observe their unique rock-climbing behavior from afar.

## About

The chestnut-quilled rock pigeon ( Petrophassa rufipennis ) is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to northern Australia.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/5ed45e7f-d296-4567-a343-bf215c0cc60c
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3650
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrophassa rufipennis
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/338700846/medium.jpeg (Alan Bell, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.