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Woodpigeon Columba palumbus [Linnaeus, 1758]
Other Names
Trends & Distribution
Breeding & Survival
Biometrics
Books & Links
Order:
Columbiformes
Family:
Columbidae
BTO Codes:
WP , WOODP
EURING No:
6700
Number in Britain:
2.7 million territories (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK:
GREEN
European:
Not a species of concern
Global:
Least Concern
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Status in UK:
(A) Resident Breeder, Winter Visitor
Subspecies:
palumbus recorded in Britain (of 5 subsp. in the world)
.
Length:
41 cm
Wingspan:
78 cm
Weight:
M/F: 450 g
Scientific name from:
L.: columba =a pigeon or dove
and L.: palumbes =woodpigeon
World Distribution:
Europe, se&c Asia, nw Africa
Habitat:
Towns, woodland
Diet:
Seeds, leaves, fruit (esp. of Ivy), buds and root crops
TitBit:
Rather than feed their young insects, pigeons feed them a milk formed from sloughing off fluid-filled cells in the crop lining and is more nutritious than human or cow's milk
Population and Distribution
Population Trend:
Regional Trends:
Distribution:
New Atlas )
British Population Size:
Summer:
2.5 to 3 million territories
in 2000
First Record:
7th Century
[Fossil evidence from
Devensian (last) glaciation, 10-120,000 yr ago]
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
Most frequent in:
Deciduous Wood
Also common in:
Scrub, Arable Farmland, Pasture Farmland, Villages, Towns
And found in:
Coniferous Wood
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
Summer:
8 to 14 million pairs
(Trend in Numbers )
Birds in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
WCA(III),WBD(I*,II*, III*)
Survey Results:
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
41 x 29 mm
Egg Weight:
18.9 g (of which 7 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
757
Clutch Size:
2 eggs
Incubation:
17 days
by the:
Male + Female
Fledging:
33 - 34 days
as:
Altricial, downy
First Clutches Laid:
30 Apr (22 Feb - 20 Aug)
Number of Broods:
1-2
Trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed:
871
Adult Survival:
0.607
Juvenile Survival:
No data
Age at First Breeding:
1
year
Typical Lifespan:
3
years
Maximum Recorded Age:
17yr8m
Biometrics
Ring Size:
F
Wing Length
Adult:
252.2 ± 8.2
Range
238 - 265 mm, N =1881
Juvenile:
239.9 ± 16.1
215 - 257 mm, N =408
Male:
258.7 ± 7.3
243 - 268 mm, N =75
Female:
250.4 ± 8.0
235 - 260 mm, N =84
Weight
Adult:
507.4 ± 71.37
Range
400.0 - 612.5 g , N =1180
Juvenile:
401.7 ± 76.98
295.0 - 548.0 g , N =314
Male:
528.6 ± 72.68
420.0 - 620.0 g , N =38
Female:
487.8 ± 76.53 .
269.0 - 580.0 g , N =55
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
Other Names
Common Wood Pigeon
Gaelic:
Calman-coille
Welsh:
Ysguthan
Danish:
Ringdue
Dutch:
Houtduif
Finnish:
Sepelkyyhky
French:
Pigeon ramier
German:
Ringeltaube
Hungarian:
Örvös galamb
Icelandic:
Hringdúfa
Irish:
Colm Coille
Italian:
Colombaccio
Norwegian:
Ringdue
Polish:
Grzywacz
Portuguese:
Pombo-torcaz
Spanish:
Paloma torcaz
Swedish:
Ringduva
Local Names: Ring Dove
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Goodwin, D. 1983 Pigeons and doves of the world (3rd ed) Cornell University Press, Ithaca
[598.623 GOO]
Murton, R.K. 1965 The wood-pigeon Collins, London
[598.523 MUR]
Colquhoun, M.K. 1951 The wood-pigeon in Britain HMSO, London
See Also:
BirdFacts home | BTO Home birdfacts@bto.org These data should be cited as:
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