Columba palumbus - Wood Pigeon
Feather characters. Barbules can be extremely long (1.4-5.2 mm). Barbules are unpigmented, although in some cases some lightly stippled pigmentation may be seen in some nodes and internodes. Quadrilobed nodes are located on proximal end of the barbules, abruptly decreasing in size towards distal end (8-11 per mm). On distal end these nodal structures are too small to qualify as nodes and may be hard to discern. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Short prongs are mostly located on distal end of the barbules, on both sides of the pennulum. Their length varies; the longest ones are longer than 0.01 mm, but shorter than half the length of the adjacent internode.
Field characters. Size 41 cm. Weight 490 g (284-614) (Dunning, 1993). Largest pigeon in the region. Heavily build, with full chest. Plumage grey, with dark flight feathers and dark tail band. Whole chest deep vinous pink. Most obvious characters are the white spots on the sides of the neck, bordered with shiny green and pink, and the white crescentic bar on each upperwing. Bill pink-yellow, iris yellow-white. Often seen singing on top of roofs or in trees. Display flight rising and falling, with clapping wing beats. On migration and in winter often in large flocks.
Voice. Loud and low 'roo coo coo'.
Distribution. Common resident, but partly migratory in northern and eastern parts of range. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Breeds in wooded areas, edges of woodlands and half-open country. Feeds in fields.
Food. Mainly seeds, berries, and green plants; some invertebrates.