Scaled Pigeon

Patagioenas speciosa

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderColumbiformes (Pigeons and Doves)
FamilyColumbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
GenusPatagioenas (New World Pigeons)
SpeciesPatagioenas speciosa (Scaled Pigeon)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Iguazú National Park

6 Verified sightings at Iguazú National Park From 2019 to 2026

6,268 Verified sightings across all 50 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Scaled Pigeon

The scaled pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa) is a large New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder from southern Mexico south to western Ecuador, southern Brazil, northern Argentina, and Trinidad. The scaled pigeon is fairly common in semi-open forest. It builds a stick platform nest in a tree and lays two white eggs.

Its flight is high, fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. It is usually very wary, since it is frequently hunted. The scaled pigeon was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the other doves and pigeons in the genus Columba and coined the binomial name Columba speciosa. Gmelin based his description on "Le Ramiret" and the "Pigeon ramier de Cayenne" that had been described and illustrated in 1871 by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. The scaled pigeon was moved to the resurrected genus Patagioenas based on a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2001. The genus had been introduced by the German naturalist... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Iguazú National Park

Patagioenas picazuro

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Patagioenas cayennensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Zenaida auriculata

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Leptotila verreauxi

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Columbina talpacoti

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Leptotila rufaxilla

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Geotrygon montana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Claravis pretiosa

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Columbina picui

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Columbina squammata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Geotrygon violacea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 11 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~30%
2	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
3	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
4	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
5	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~10%
6	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
7	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
8	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
9	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
10	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
11	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
12	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
13	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
14	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
15	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	~10%
16	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
17	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
18	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
19	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
20	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
21	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
22	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
23	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
24	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
25	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
26	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
27	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
28	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
29	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Insufficient data
30	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
31	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
32	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	Insufficient data
33	Canaima National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	Insufficient data
34	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
35	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
36	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
37	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
38	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
39	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
40	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
41	Serra dos Órgãos National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
42	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
43	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
44	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
45	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
46	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
47	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
48	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
49	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
50	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data

← Back to Iguazú National Park

Scaled Pigeon

About the Scaled Pigeon

Recent sightings of Scaled Pigeon in Iguazú National Park

Closest Relatives at Iguazú National Park

Picazuro Pigeon

Pale-vented Pigeon

Eared Dove

White-tipped Dove

Ruddy Ground-Dove

Grey-fronted Dove

Ruddy Quail-Dove

Blue Ground-Dove

Picuí Ground-Dove

Scaled Dove

Violaceous Quail-Dove

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found