Tuesday 21 May
In the News: First crane egg in the western UK in four centuries
Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)
Woodpigeon fact file
- Description
- Biology
- Range
- Habitat
- Status
- Threats
- Conservation
- Find out more
- Glossary
- References
- Print factsheet
Woodpigeon description
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Columbiformes |
| Family | Columbidae |
| Genus | Columba (1) |
The woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) is the largest and most common of Britain's doves and pigeons (3). It is grey in colour with a dusky pink breast and a white neck patch, which is absent in juveniles (2), and earns the species its alternative name of 'ringed dove' or 'ring dove' (6). In both adults and juveniles, a white band is visible on the wings in flight (2). This species produces a husky 'hooh-hrooo' call during the breeding season (2).
- French
- Pigeon ramier.
More »
Top
Related species
Woodpigeon biology
Woodpigeons feed on grains, fruits, seeds, peas and beans, root crops and the occasional invertebrate (3).
Courtship displays involve birds flying fairly high before clapping the wings together and gliding down, as well as males strutting and fluffing out their chest feathers (3). The male brings nesting materials to the female, who builds an untidy platform-like nest, usually in a tree, before laying two white eggs (3). Both sexes incubate the eggs for around 17 days; they then feed the young (known as squabs), on 'pigeon milk', a regurgitated milky substance from a food-storage organ called the crop (3). The squabs fledge 29-35 days after hatching (3).
TopWoodpigeon range
Found almost everywhere in Britain except on high hills and mountains (7), and is joined in winter by woodpigeons from the continent escaping harsh weather (2). It occurs throughout most of Europe, reaching as far north as central Scandinavia, east to Russia, and south to North Africa and the Middle East (3).
More »
Species with a similar range
|
You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway. |
Woodpigeon habitat
Found in woodlands, hedgerows, parks, and gardens, and even in city centres. The woodpigeon feeds on agricultural land and it can be a serious agricultural pest (3).
More »
Top
Species found in a similar habitat
Woodpigeon status
The woodpigeon is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1). It is widespread and common in the UK (3). May be killed or taken under the terms of General Licences (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981) (4). Included in the Birds of Conservation Concern Green List (low conservation concern) (5).
Woodpigeon threats
This common, widespread woodpigeon is not threatened (3).
TopWoodpigeon conservation
No specific conservation action is targeted at the woodpigeon (6).
|
View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. |
|
|
There may be further information about this species available via the National Biodiversity Network Gateway. |
Find out more
For more information on the woodpigeon and other bird species:
-
BirdLife International:
http://www.birdlife.org -
The RSPB:
http://www.rspb.org.uk
Authentication
Information authenticated by the RSPB:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/
Glossary
- Incubate
- To keep eggs warm so that development is possible.
- Invertebrates
- Animals with no backbone, such as insects, crustaceans, worms, molluscs, spiders, cnidarians (jellyfish, corals, sea anemones), echinoderms, and others.
References
-
IUCN Red List (March, 2011)
http://www.iucnredlist.org/ - Mullarney, K., Svensson, L., Zetterstrom, D., & Grant, P.J. (1999) Collins Bird Guide. HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, London.
- Gooders, J. (1982) Collins British Birds. William Collins Sons and Co Ltd, London.
- RSPB (2003): Pers. comm.
-
RSPB (2003) The population status of birds in the UK:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/5_20625.pdf - Greenoak, F. (1979) All the birds of the air. Book Club Associates, London.
- Lack, P. (1986) The Atlas of Wintering Birds in Britain and Ireland. T. & A. D. Poyser Ltd, Calton.
More »Related species
Sign up to our newsletter
Get the latest wild news direct to your inbox.
Get involved
ARKive relies on its media donors to donate photos and videos. Can you help? There are plenty of other ways you can get involved too!
X
Close
Close
Image credit
Woodpigeon
© Chris Gomersall
Chris Gomersall
14 Judith Gardens
Potton
Bedfordshire
SG19 2RJ
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1767 260 769
chris@c-gomersall.demon.co.uk
http://www.chrisgomersall.co.uk/
X
Close
Close
Link to this photo
Embed this ARKive thumbnail link by copying and pasting the code below.
Terms of Use - The displayed thumbnail may be used as a link from your website to ARKive's online content for private, scientific, conservation or educational purposes only. It may NOT be used within Apps.
Read more about
X
Close
Close
MyARKive
MyARKive offers the scrapbook feature to signed-up members, allowing you to organize your favourite ARKive images and videos and share them with friends.
X
Close
Close
Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials
Copyright in this website and materials contained on this website (Material) belongs to Wildscreen or its licensors.
Visitors to this website (End Users) are entitled to:
- view the contents of, and Material on, the website;
- download and retain copies of the Material on their personal systems in digital form in low resolution for their own personal use;
- teachers, lecturers and students may incorporate the Material in their educational material (including, but not limited to, their lesson plans, presentations, worksheets and projects) in hard copy and digital format for use within a registered educational establishment, provided that the integrity of the Material is maintained and that copyright ownership and authorship is appropriately acknowledged by the End User.
End Users shall not copy or otherwise extract, alter or manipulate Material other than as permitted in these Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials.
Additional use of flagged material
Green flagged material 
Certain Material on this website (Licence 4 Material) displays a green flag next to the Material and is available for not-for-profit conservation or educational use. This material may be used by End Users, who are individuals or organisations that are in our opinion not-for-profit, for their not-for-profit conservation or not-for-profit educational purposes. Low resolution, watermarked images may be copied from this website by such End Users for such purposes. If you require high resolution or non-watermarked versions of the Material, please contact Wildscreen with details of your proposed use.
Creative commons material
Certain Material on this website has been licensed to Wildscreen under a Creative Commons Licence. These images are clearly marked with the Creative Commons buttons and may be used by End Users only in the way allowed by the specific Creative Commons Licence under which they have been submitted. Please see http://creativecommons.org for details.
Any other use
Please contact the copyright owners directly (copyright and contact details are shown for each media item) to negotiate terms and conditions for any use of Material other than those expressly permitted above. Please note that many of the contributors to ARKive are commercial operators and may request a fee for such use.
Save as permitted above, no person or organisation is permitted to incorporate any copyright material from this website into any other work or publication in any format (this includes but is not limited to: websites, Apps, CDs, DVDs, intranets, extranets, signage, digital communications or on printed materials for external or other distribution). Use of the Material for promotional, administrative or for-profit purposes is not permitted.