Feral Pigeon vs Band-Tailed Pigeon

Feral Pigeon

Columba livia domestica

Also known as: City Dove, City Pigeon, Streen Pigeon

How to recognise a feral pigeon?

General appearance

The feral pigeon is a bird with generally stocky body, and short, stout beak. Its plumage is variable, often blue-grey but can have a wide range of colors due to interbreeding. Its feathers often have iridescent neck feathers and a broad, rounded tail.

Male vs female

Males and females largely look alike, making it difficult to distinguish between the two. Both sexes generally share the same physical characteristics. However, males may have a slightly wider body and a more pronounced iridescence at the neck.

Juvenile

Juvenile feral pigeons exhibit less glossy neck feathers and have a duller, less variegated plumage than adults. They usually attain their adult coloration after their first molt. Also, their eyes are generally darker compared to the bright, orange-red eyes of the adults.

Size

11.4 - 13.8 in/8.1 - 13.1 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

Feral pigeons thrive in urban environments worldwide, especially in city centers and around buildings. They are descendants of domesticated rock pigeons, adapted to human settlements.

Additional range

They occupy various climates, from tropical to temperate regions, and are found on every continent except Antarctica. Unexpectedly, they can also adapt to coastal cliffs similar to their wild ancestors.

Range Map

What do feral pigeons like to eat?

Natural diet

Feral pigeons primarily consume seeds and grains, which they forage from fields and urban environments. They are known to eat a variety of seeds, including those from grasses and cereals. Pigeons also feed on fruits and berries when available, and occasionally consume small insects and larvae.

Bird feeders

At bird feeders, feral pigeons often consume a wide range of foods provided for other birds. They are particularly attracted to bread crumbs, seeds, and grains commonly found in birdseed mixes. Sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and millet are frequently consumed by pigeons at feeders.

What does a feral pigeon sound like?

Awake with the dawn, feral pigeons chime their delight in a chorus of coos and flutters. A cascading, rhythmic melody of soft throaty rumbles and occasional high pitch coos is their language of love. Crackling wing beats intermingle, like rustic wind chimes serenading the morning sun. Then, there is the 'clap-clap', a celebratory dance in the sky; performed by males, their wingtips kiss, creating a hushed applause. Mingle all these delightful sounds with the urban hum in the background, and it's just another pigeon-fronted symphony, bringing their cheerful buoyancy even into the busiest city's heartbeat.

Call

Audio by Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart

/ CC BY-SA 4.0

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Band-Tailed Pigeon

Patagioenas fasciata

How to recognise a band-tailed pigeon?

General appearance

The band-tailed pigeon is a large, vibrant bird measuring around 14-15 1/2 inches or 36-39 cm. It showcases striking coloration, showcasing black, gray, purple, white, and yellow hues. A notable physical trait is the narrow white band across its nape. The bill base is yellow, while the tail possesses a broad gray band. The pigeon's head and chest are clothed in purplish-pink colors, and its neck displays hints of green iridescence.

Male vs female

There is no significant physical difference in color and size between male and female band-tailed pigeons that can be used for easy identification in the wild. Both genders exhibit similar coloration and physical features.

Juvenile

Juveniles of this species exhibit subtle differences compared to adults. They lack the distinguishing narrow white band across the nape which is a key characteristic of mature band-tailed pigeons. With time, as they mature, they will gradually acquire the vibrant adult coloration and physical traits.

Size

12.6 - 15.7 in/12.1 - 12.8 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

The band-tailed pigeon primarily inhabits oak woodlands, foothills, chaparrals, and mountain forests. Its habitat is mainly wooded or semi-open, adjusting to changes in food supplies.

Additional range

Its range includes coastal and mountainous regions, pine-oak woods, and fir forests. It may also be found foraging along streams in lowland deserts and is increasingly typical in suburban areas on the Pacific Coast.

Range Map

What do band-tailed pigeons like to eat?

Natural diet

The band-tailed pigeon's natural diet primarily consists of seeds, berries, and fruits. They often consume acorns, pine nuts, and the seeds of various trees such as oaks. These pigeons also eat juniper berries and manzanita fruits when available. They may occasionally consume insects and small invertebrates, but they are predominantly herbivorous.

Bird feeders

At bird feeders, band-tailed pigeons are attracted to a variety of seeds and grains. They often consume cracked corn, sunflower seeds, and millet. While less common than smaller birds, they can be frequent visitors where large platform feeders are provided, as these can accommodate their size and feeding behavior.

What does a band-tailed pigeon sound like?

The band-tailed pigeon typically expresses deep, owl-like vocalizations, a distinct "whoo-hoo" sounding call. This call follows a flat, undulating pattern, which adds depth to its communication range. The pigeon also employs two primary types of calls for different circumstances. The common hoot for regular communication and a unique, more urgent scream for alarming situations. Furthermore, it's worth noting that the band-tailed pigeon doesn't have a diverse song range compared to other bird species. The pigeon's vocal repertoire primarily comprises these signature calls, making their sound quite recognizable.

Call

Audio by Niels Krabbe

/ CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Song

Audio by Niels Krabbe

/ CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

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Feral Pigeon

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Band-Tailed Pigeon

Feral Pigeon

Columba livia domestica

Also known as: City Dove, City Pigeon, Streen Pigeon

General appearance

The feral pigeon is a bird with generally stocky body, and short, stout beak. Its plumage is variable, often blue-grey but can have a wide range of colors due to interbreeding. Its feathers often have iridescent neck feathers and a broad, rounded tail.

Male vs female

Males and females largely look alike, making it difficult to distinguish between the two. Both sexes generally share the same physical characteristics. However, males may have a slightly wider body and a more pronounced iridescence at the neck.

Juvenile

Juvenile feral pigeons exhibit less glossy neck feathers and have a duller, less variegated plumage than adults. They usually attain their adult coloration after their first molt. Also, their eyes are generally darker compared to the bright, orange-red eyes of the adults.

Size

11.4 - 13.8 in/8.1 - 13.1 oz

There's more to learn about Feral Pigeon

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Band-Tailed Pigeon

Patagioenas fasciata

General appearance

The band-tailed pigeon is a large, vibrant bird measuring around 14-15 1/2 inches or 36-39 cm. It showcases striking coloration, showcasing black, gray, purple, white, and yellow hues. A notable physical trait is the narrow white band across its nape. The bill base is yellow, while the tail possesses a broad gray band. The pigeon's head and chest are clothed in purplish-pink colors, and its neck displays hints of green iridescence.

Male vs female

There is no significant physical difference in color and size between male and female band-tailed pigeons that can be used for easy identification in the wild. Both genders exhibit similar coloration and physical features.

Juvenile

Juveniles of this species exhibit subtle differences compared to adults. They lack the distinguishing narrow white band across the nape which is a key characteristic of mature band-tailed pigeons. With time, as they mature, they will gradually acquire the vibrant adult coloration and physical traits.

Size

12.6 - 15.7 in/12.1 - 12.8 oz

There's more to learn about Band-Tailed Pigeon

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How to tell the Feral Pigeon from the Band-Tailed Pigeon

Visual differences

Feral pigeons (11-13 inches, 8-13 oz) are stocky with variable blue-gray plumage and iridescent neck feathers. They have a short, stout beak. In contrast, band-tailed pigeons (14-15.5 inches, 12-13 oz) are larger, with a purplish-pink head and chest, a white nape band, and a yellow bill base. Their tail features a broad gray band. Both genders of each species are similar in appearance, but juveniles differ slightly.

Key differences and behavior

Feral Pigeons (Columba livia domestica) thrive in urban areas, building simple nests on ledges and consuming an opportunistic diet of seeds, grains, and scraps, enabling them to easily adapt to human environments worldwide. Their mating rituals involve elaborate ground displays and both parents partake in chick-rearing. Band-Tailed Pigeons (Patagioenas fasciata), on the other hand, inhabit wooded and mountainous regions, travelling up to three miles for food, which includes seeds, berries, and acorns. They exhibit aerial courtship, nesting in trees, often in colonies, and employ a similar parenting strategy as feral pigeons. While the size difference between sexes in both species is minimal, differentiating them behaviorally, the Band-Tailed Pigeon tends to be more localized to natural environments compared to the urban-adapted Feral Pigeon. Both species utilize "crop milk" to feed their young.

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Feral Pigeon or Band-Tailed Pigeon?

Feral Pigeon

How to recognise a feral pigeon?

Habitat

What do feral pigeons like to eat?

What does a feral pigeon sound like?

Call

There's more to learn about Feral Pigeon

Band-Tailed Pigeon

How to recognise a band-tailed pigeon?

Habitat

What do band-tailed pigeons like to eat?

What does a band-tailed pigeon sound like?

Call

Song

There's more to learn about Band-Tailed Pigeon

Feral Pigeon

There's more to learn about Feral Pigeon

Band-Tailed Pigeon

There's more to learn about Band-Tailed Pigeon

How to tell the Feral Pigeon from the Band-Tailed Pigeon

Visual differences

Key differences and behavior

Still not sure? Here are more lookalikes!

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