Common wood pigeon

Short Description

Compared to other pigeons, the common wood pigeon is comparatively large and easily identifiable by the white patch on its neck. Its head and upper parts are dark grey, the underparts a paler greyish-pink. Its nape has a metallic green sheen. The bill is red to yellow, the white cere (waxy skin) extends to the middle of the bill.

Features

Common wood pigeon

Columba palumbus

white patch on the side of the neck

Rufreihen

Schubert (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Similar species

Street pigeon

Columba livia domestica

Street pigeons are notably smaller and do not have a white patch.

In the city

As indicated by the name, common wood pigeons originally lived in forests. These days, it is commonly seen in urban settings in parks, gardens, cemeteries and other green spaces.

The once shy bird has lost its shyness of humans and frequently feeds on bread and other food scraps.

Fun Facts

Goshawks are the main predators of the common wood pigeon.
Common wood pigeons can be seen in Germany all year round.
Common wood pigeons are amongst the most common breeding birds in Europe.
The oldest known wood pigeon lived for 18 years.
Endangerment level Germany: not endangered

Fütterung der Kücken (CC BY 3.0) Ruggero Turra

Sources

Habitus , Tristan Ferne, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Columba_palumbus_-garden_post-8.jpg

Kopf, Tony Hisgett, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Columba_palumbus_-Quinton,_Birmingham,_England_-head-8.jpg

Fütterung der Kücken, Ruggero Turra, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Columba_palumbus_eating.JPG

Witt, K. & Steiof, K. (2013) Rote Liste und Liste der Brutvögel von Berlin, 3. version, 15.11.2013. : Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V. (eds.) Berliner Ornithologischer Bericht, volume 23, Berlin: Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V., 1-23.

NABU – Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (2016) Rote Liste der Brutvögel Deutschlands. 5. version, published August 2016, URL: https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/voegel/artenschutz/rote-listen/10221.html (Accessed: 07.04.2017).

Page „Ringeltaube“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 19.08.2015, 13:12 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ringeltaube&oldid=145191554 (Accessed: 12.02.2016).

Artenfinder (2016) Columba palumbus (Ringeltaube), URL: https://arteninfo.net/elearning/voegel/speciesportrait/3016 (Accessed: 21.04.2016).