White-quilled Rock Pigeon

The white-quilled rock pigeon (Petrophassa albipennis) is a dark brown rock pigeon with a white patch on its wing. It has distinctive pale lines across its face curving above and below its eye. It is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is a rock dweller found roosting on sandstone cliffs and towers in the Kimberley, WA and east of the Victoria River, NT. It is endemic to Australia. == Taxonomy and systematics == There are two species of rock pigeon in Australia, the white-quilled and the chestnut-quilled. Their name reflects their habitat specialisation of sandstone gorges and rocky escarpments. Petrophassa albipennis was identified and named by John Gould in 1841. It reflects the aptness of the name that no alternatives have ever been recorded. The genus name derives from Greek words: petros meaning rock (its preferred habitat) and phassa a wild pigeon giving Petrophassa, and the species name derives from the Latin albus meaning dull white and penna meaning feather leading to pennis meaning -winged referring to the large white patch on its wing when spread. Two subspecies are recognised: P. a. albipennis - Gould, 1841 which is found in the Kimberley of Western Australia (WA), and…