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Band-tailed pigeon
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Band-tailed pigeon
The (northern) band-tailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) is a pigeon native to the Americas, the largest pigeon native to North America, and is California's only native pigeon. It is a large, gray pigeon, characterized by a thin white collar on the nape of its neck and a purple-gray belly.
It is the largest pigeon in North America, both sexes measuring 33 to 40 cm (13 to 16 in) long and weighing 342 to 364 g (12.1 to 12.8 oz). The band-tailed pigeon has thick-based, pointed wings, with a wingspan of 66 cm (26 in).
The plumage is gray, somewhat darker above. The head and underparts have a faint pink cast, especially in the adult male; the belly is nearly white. The distal half of the tail is also pale (except in the subspecies of Baja California), whence the English name. The bill and feet are yellow, with good identification marks at sufficiently close range. Adults have green iridescence on the back of the neck, adjacent to a thin white collar on the nape. Juvenile birds have white feather edges above, giving a scaly appearance.
Unlike the majority of other birds, band-tailed pigeons roam throughout the year, not having a single home range. However, they are usually found at higher elevations, in coniferous forests, oak woodlands, and scrublands. It ranges from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, and southern Arizona south in higher elevations through Mexico and Central America to northern Argentina. It lives primarily in damp forests and conifer-oak woodlands of the Western Mountains and coast.
Band-tailed pigeons are nomadic feeders, changing their diet along the seasons, and will travel up to three miles away from their nests to feed.
As forest birds, they feed both off the floor and from the trees. Their diets are centered on acorns, though they will also feed on berries, seeds, flowers, leaves, and even insects. Though, in times of food scarcity, they move closer to urban areas, being found in the suburbs, in forested parks, orchards, and even backyards.
According to the North American Breeding Survey, the population of band-tailed pigeons has declined at an average rate of 2% every year since 1968–primarily due to deforestation. Forest management, a practice that is supposed to promote forests’ environmental, economic, and social goals, can harm the band-tailed pigeons due to its suppression of shrubs and hardwood growth. While forest management can help these birds in terms of nesting habitats, they rely heavily on hardwoods and fruit and nut producing shrubs for food during breeding seasons.
In California, agriculture and urban sprawl–the expansion of low-density housing developments–lead to significant declines in valley and blue oak woodland habitats. These areas that are being humanly modified are crucial for band-tailed pigeons in the winter, being a major area of acorn mast for food.
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Band-tailed pigeon
The (northern) band-tailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) is a pigeon native to the Americas, the largest pigeon native to North America, and is California's only native pigeon. It is a large, gray pigeon, characterized by a thin white collar on the nape of its neck and a purple-gray belly.
It is the largest pigeon in North America, both sexes measuring 33 to 40 cm (13 to 16 in) long and weighing 342 to 364 g (12.1 to 12.8 oz). The band-tailed pigeon has thick-based, pointed wings, with a wingspan of 66 cm (26 in).
The plumage is gray, somewhat darker above. The head and underparts have a faint pink cast, especially in the adult male; the belly is nearly white. The distal half of the tail is also pale (except in the subspecies of Baja California), whence the English name. The bill and feet are yellow, with good identification marks at sufficiently close range. Adults have green iridescence on the back of the neck, adjacent to a thin white collar on the nape. Juvenile birds have white feather edges above, giving a scaly appearance.
Unlike the majority of other birds, band-tailed pigeons roam throughout the year, not having a single home range. However, they are usually found at higher elevations, in coniferous forests, oak woodlands, and scrublands. It ranges from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, and southern Arizona south in higher elevations through Mexico and Central America to northern Argentina. It lives primarily in damp forests and conifer-oak woodlands of the Western Mountains and coast.
Band-tailed pigeons are nomadic feeders, changing their diet along the seasons, and will travel up to three miles away from their nests to feed.
As forest birds, they feed both off the floor and from the trees. Their diets are centered on acorns, though they will also feed on berries, seeds, flowers, leaves, and even insects. Though, in times of food scarcity, they move closer to urban areas, being found in the suburbs, in forested parks, orchards, and even backyards.
According to the North American Breeding Survey, the population of band-tailed pigeons has declined at an average rate of 2% every year since 1968–primarily due to deforestation. Forest management, a practice that is supposed to promote forests’ environmental, economic, and social goals, can harm the band-tailed pigeons due to its suppression of shrubs and hardwood growth. While forest management can help these birds in terms of nesting habitats, they rely heavily on hardwoods and fruit and nut producing shrubs for food during breeding seasons.
In California, agriculture and urban sprawl–the expansion of low-density housing developments–lead to significant declines in valley and blue oak woodland habitats. These areas that are being humanly modified are crucial for band-tailed pigeons in the winter, being a major area of acorn mast for food.
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