Topknot Pigeon, Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney

Topknot Pigeon, Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney

I find that zoos and wildlife parks are excellent places to hone one’s photography skills, especially those with walk through aviaries. On a few occasions, however, one can get the conditions just right and a good shot can be obtained even when shooting through the wire surrounding the aviary.

The above shot of Topknot Pigeon was taken through the wire of an aviary at Taronga Park Zoo. You can see the wire behind the bird, but the wire in front seems to have completely disappeared.

Topknot Pigeons are present along coastal eastern Australia, from Cape York peninsula down through to south eastern NSW. it can also sometimes occur in far eastern Victoria, near Mallacoota.

I have only ever seen this species once in the wild, nearly 30 years ago in Gibraltar Range National Park between Grafton and Glen Innes in north eastern NSW.