Band-tailed Pigeon

About the Band-tailed Pigeon

The band-tailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) is a pigeon native to the Americas, and one of the largest pigeons in this region. It is largely gray, but with a thin white collar on the nape and a purple-gray breast. The band-tailed pigeon is one of the largest pigeons in the Americas, measuring 33 to 40 cm (13 to 16 in) long and weighing 226–460 g (8.0–16.2 oz), with the males on average slightly larger than females, but with much overlap. Although sometimes cited as the largest North American pigeon, the red-billed pigeon (P. flavirostris) is about the same size, weighing 268–424 g (9.5–15.0 oz). Band-tailed pigeons have 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) with a darker gray band at the base, whence the English name. The bill and feet are yellow, good identification marks at sufficiently close range. Adults have green iridescence on the back of the neck, adjacent to the thin white collar on the nape. Juvenile... Wikipedia →