Common wood pigeon

The common wood pigeon was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the other pigeons in the genus Columba and coined the binomial name Columba palumbus.[4] The specific epithet palumbus is an alternate form of the Latin palumbes for a wood pigeon.[5][6]

Five subspecies are recognised, one of which is now extinct:[7]

• C. p. palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 – Europe to western Siberia and Iraq; Northwest Africa
• † C. p. maderensis Tschusi, 1904 – Madeira (extinct)
• C. p. azorica Hartert, 1905 – the eastern and central Azores
• C. p. iranica (Zarudny, 1910) – southwestern and northern Iran to southwestern Turkmenistan
• C. p. casiotis (Bonaparte, 1854) – southeastern Iran and Kazakhstan to western China, northwestern India and Nepal

† = extinct

Fossil records of the species are known from the early Middle Pleistocene of Sicily.[8]

Adult common wood pigeon, photograph taken in Birmingham, England

The three Western European Columba pigeons, common wood pigeon, stock dove and rock 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 weight 300–615 g (10+5⁄8–21+3⁄4 oz), and the white on its neck and wing.[9] 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 the wing chord measures 24 to 25.4 cm (9+1⁄2 to 10 in). The tail measures 13.8 to 15 cm (5+1⁄2 to 6 in), the bill is 1.9 to 2.2 cm (3⁄4 to 7⁄8 in) and the tarsus is 2.5 to 2.8 cm (1 to 1+1⁄8 in).[10] 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,[11] in contrast to that of rock doves, which is orange-red, and the stock pigeon, which is black.

Juvenile birds do not have the white patches on either side of the neck. When they are about 6 months old (about three months out of the nest) they gain small white patches on both sides of the neck, which gradually enlarge until they are fully formed when the bird is about 6–8 months old (approx. ages only). Juvenile birds also have a greyer beak and an overall lighter grey appearance than adult birds.

In the colder northern and eastern parts of Europe and western Asia the common wood pigeon is a migrant, but in southern and western Europe it is a well distributed and often abundant resident. In Great Britain wood pigeons are commonly seen in parks and gardens[12] and are seen with increasing numbers in towns and cities.

Adult sitting on its nest in a tree

Egg

Hatching of a Common Wood Pigeon

Its flight is quick, performed by regular beats, with an occasional sharp flick of the wings, characteristic of pigeons in general. It takes off with a loud clattering. It perches well, and in its nuptial display walks along a horizontal branch with swelled neck, lowered wings, and fanned tail. During the display flight the bird climbs, the wings are smartly cracked like a whiplash, 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 take advantage of trees and buildings to gain a vantage point over the surrounding area, and their distinctive call means that they are usually heard before they are seen.

Wood pigeons are known to fiercely defend their territory, and will fight each other to gain access to nesting and roosting locations. Male wood pigeons will typically attempt to drive competitors off by threat displays and pursuit, but will also directly fight, jumping and striking their rival with both wings.[13]

This species can be an agricultural pest, and it is often shot, being a legal quarry species in most European countries. It is wary in rural areas, but often quite tame where it is not persecuted.

Breeding

Two young Columba palumbus in a nest

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 roadways and rivers. Males exhibit aggressive behaviour towards each other during the breeding season by jumping and flapping wings at each other. Their plumage becomes much darker, especially the head, during hot summer periods. Breeding can happen year round if there is food abundant however breeding season most commonly occurs in autumn usually in the months of August and September.

The nests are vulnerable to attack, particularly by crows. 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 from hatching.

In a study carried out using ring-recovery data, the survival rate for juveniles in their first year was 52 per cent, and the adult annual survival rate was 61 per cent.[14] For birds that survive the first year the typical lifespan is thus only three years,[15] but the maximum recorded age is 17 years and 8 months for a bird ringed and recovered on the Orkney Islands.[16][17]

Predators of the wood pigeon typically consist of the Eurasian sparrowhawk, northern goshawk and domestic cat. The eggs and babies of wood pigeons are also often predated by crows.

The wood pigeon is mentioned several times in the Eclogues written by the ancient Roman poet Virgil. Referring to its distinctive husky call, Virgil writes in Eclogue 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

Make endless moan.[23]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Common Wood Pigeon.

• Xeno-canto: audio recordings of the common wood pigeon
• Wood pigeon videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
• Ageing and sexing of the common wood pigeon by Javier Blasco-Zumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze
• Feathers of Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) by Hans Schick Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine