G. s. smithii primarily inhabits open forest and woodland dominated by Eucalyptus tetrodonta and E. miniata that has a structurally diverse understorey, usually in areas with a fire regime that promotes a mosaic of fire ages, including wet season burns, which promote grass diversity and year-round seed availa­bility (Fraser et al. 2003). The ground cover is mostly tall grasses, though the pigeons are usually seen feeding in recently burnt areas, by roads and in short grass (Johnstone 1981, in Garnett et al. 2011). It appears to rely on per­ennial grass species which set seed relatively early (Fraser 2001). Breeding takes place in the dry season, between March and October, and the species usually lays two eggs in rudimentary nests made on the ground, most often at the base of a clump of grass. It feeds on seeds taken from bare ground. It may benefit from the recent spread of introduced cane toads Bufo marinus throughout large parts of its range, as the toads are likely to cause severe reductions in monitor lizards Varanus spp. and snakes, which are likely to be predators of the species and its eggs and young (J. Woinarski in litt. 2007). Fire regimes are changing across much of its range, with more extensive high-intensity fires, reducing the fine-scale mosaic favoured by this species. This unfavourable change is likely to accelerate with ongoing spread of invasive pasture grasses (Setterfield et al. 2010, 2013). Fire may also magnify impacts due to predation by feral cats, with recent research in the partridge pigeon’s range showing that cats are attracted to burnt areas and have high predation impact in them (McGregor et al. 2015, 2016; Leahy et al. 2015). G. s. blaauwi, like the eastern subspecies, appears to prefer a mix of recently burnt areas for feeding and perennial grasses for shelter (Johnstone 1981, Fraser 2001, Fraser et al. 2003).