Common wood pigeon perched on a fence. Photograph taken in Cambridge, England
Thecommon wood pigeon (Columba palumbus), also known simply as thewood pigeon, is a largespecies in the dove and pigeonfamily (Columbidae), native to the westernPalearctic. It belongs to the genusColumba, which includes closely related species such as therock dove (Columba livia). It has a flexible diet, feeding mainly on plant material, including cereals, and is therefore considered an agricultural pest. Wood pigeons are extensively hunted over much of their range, but this does not appear to have a major impact on their population numbers.
Adult common wood pigeon, photograph taken in Birmingham, England
The three Western EuropeanColumba pigeons, common wood pigeon,stock dove androck dove, though superficially alike, have very distinctive characteristics; the common wood pigeon may be identified at once by its larger size at 38–44.5 cm (15–17+1⁄2 in) and weight300–615 g (10+5⁄8–21+3⁄4 oz), and the white on its neck and wing.[7] It is otherwise a basically grey bird, with a pinkish breast. The wingspan can range from 68 to 80 cm (27 to 31 in) and thewing chord measures24 to 25.4 cm (9+1⁄2 to 10 in). Thetail measures13.8 to 15 cm (5+1⁄2 to 6 in), thebill is1.9 to 2.2 cm (3⁄4 to7⁄8 in) and thetarsus is2.5 to 2.8 cm (1 to1+1⁄8 in).[8] Adult birds bear a series of green and white patches on their necks, and a pink patch on their chest. The eye colour is a pale yellow,[9] in contrast to that of rock doves, which is orange-red, and the stock dove, which is black.
Juvenile lack the white patches on either side of the neck. When they are about 6 months old (about three months out of the nest) they develop small white patches on each side of the neck, which gradually increase in size until they are fully formed when the bird is about 6–8 months old. Juveniles also have a greyer bill and an overall lighter grey appearance than adults.
In the colder northern and eastern parts ofEurope and westernAsia the common wood pigeon is a migrant, but in southern and western Europe it is a well distributed and often abundant resident. InGreat Britain wood pigeons are commonly seen in parks and gardens[10] and are increasingly seen in towns and cities. In May 2019, a single wood pigeon was sighted inLa Romaine, Quebec,Canada, making it the only known record of the species in theAmericas.[11][12]
A flock of common wood pigeons feeding in a fieldAdult sitting on its nest in a treeEggHatching of a Common Wood Pigeon
Its flight is fast, with regular beats and occasional sharp flick of the wing flaps, characteristic of pigeons in general. It takes off with a loud clatter. It perches well, and in its nuptial display walks along a horizontal branch with its neck swelled, wings down and tail outstretched. During the display flight, the bird climbs, the wings are smartly cracked like a whip, and the bird glides down on stiff wings. The common wood pigeon is gregarious, often forming very large flocks outside the breeding season. Like many species of pigeon, wood pigeons use trees and buildings to gain a vantage point over their surroundings, and their distinctive call means that they are usually heard before they are seen.
Wood pigeons are known to be fiercely territorial and will fight each other to gain access to nesting and roosting sites. Male wood pigeons typically usethreat displays and pursuit to deter competitors, but will also engage in direct confrontation, jumping and striking their rival with both wings.[13]
This species can be an agriculturalpest, and it is frequently hunted, being a legal quarry species in most European countries. It is wary in rural areas, but often quite tame where it is not persecuted.
It breeds in trees in woods, parks and gardens, laying two white eggs in a simple stick nest which hatch after 17 to 19 days. Wood pigeons seem to have a preference for trees near roads and rivers. During the breeding season, males display aggressive behaviour towards each other, jumping and flapping their wings. Their plumage becomes much darker, especially the head, during hot summer periods. Breeding can occur throughout the year if there is food is plentiful; however, the breeding season is usually between April and October.
The nests are vulnerable to attack, especially bycrows. The young usually fly at 33 to 34 days; however, if the nest is disturbed, some young may be able to survive having left the nest as early as 20 days after hatching.
In a study carried out usingring-recovery data, the survival rate for juveniles in their first year was 52 per cent, and the annual survival rate for adults was 61 per cent.[14] For birds that survive the first year the typical lifespan is therefore only three years,[15] but the maximum recorded age is 17 years and 8 months for a bird ringed and recovered on theOrkney Islands.[16][17]
Most of its diet consists of plant matter, round and fleshy leaves fromCaryophyllaceae,Asteraceae, andcruciferous vegetables taken from open fields or gardens and lawns; young shoots and seedlings are favoured, and they will take grain, pine nuts, and certain fruits and berries. In the autumn they also eat figs and acorns, and buds of trees and bushes in winter. They will also eat larvae, ants, and small worms. They need open water to drink and bathe in. Young common wood pigeons quickly become fat, as a result of thecrop milk fed to them by their parents. This is an extremely rich fluid that is produced in the adult birds' crops during the breeding season.[18][19]
The call of the wood pigeon is a monotonous five-syllable characteristic cooing phrase,"oooh, oooh, ooh, ooooh, ooh",[20] usually repeated several times. In Ireland and the UK, the traditionalmnemonic for this repeated cooing phrase has been interpreted as "Take two cows, Teddy", or "Take two cows, Taffy".[21][22] Other interpretations include "I am a pigeon",[23] "My toe bleeds, Betty",[24] and "I don't want to go".[25] However the whole call begins and ends part-way through the mnemonic phrase,[26] thus: "two cows Teddy, take two cows Teddy, take two cows Teddy, take".
The wood pigeon is hunted extensively over much of its range, with millions of birds being shot annually,[28] in part because it has been regarded as an agricultural pest, especially of cereal crops. In 1953, the British Government introduced a subsidy for the cost of cartridges to sport-hunters of wood pigeons, which was later abolished in 1969.[29]
The wood pigeon is mentioned several times in theEclogues written by theancient Roman poetVirgil. Referring to its distinctive husky call, Virgil writes inEclogue 1;
Here beneath high rocks The gatherers of leaves, with cheerful songs Fill the high winds. Meanwhile thy turtle doves And hoarse wood pigeons from the lofty elms
^Gill, Frank; Donsker, David;Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (2020)."Pigeons".IOC World Bird List Version 10.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved17 March 2020.
Cramp, Stanley; et al., eds. (1985). "Columba palumbus Woodpigeon".Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Volume IV: Terns to Woodpeckers. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 311–329.ISBN978-0-19-857507-8.
