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Common Wood-Pigeon

Silhouette PigeonsPigeons
Common Wood-PigeonColumba palumbus
  • ORDER: Columbiformes
  • FAMILY: Columbidae

Basic Description

Common Wood-Pigeon is a burly pigeon with a low, growling song to match. Adorned mostly in subtle shades of lilac and gray, adults also have flashy white (or tan) neck patches trimmed with green iridescence. In flight, all ages are instantly recognizable by their broad white bands in the wing. Common Wood-Pigeons have been very successful in modern-day Europe, nesting in woodlots or city parks and foraging in fields and other open spaces. Millions of these pigeons pass through the Pyrenees and other migratory bottlenecks, and during the winter, they often form huge roosting flocks.

More ID Info
image of range map for Common Wood-Pigeon
Year-roundBreedingMigrationNonbreeding
Range map provided by Birds of the World
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Other Names

  • Paloma Torcaz (Spanish)
  • Pigeon ramier (French)
  • Cool Facts