Common wood-pigeon + Birds of the Week Invitation LXIX

Common wood-pigeons (Columba palumbus) range over Eurasia, from Iceland to Mongolia, and northern Finland to Oman. They can be seen in coastal Algeria, and, during winter, in the lower Himalayas. In spite of this, I haven’t seen it in India. I took the photo you see here in Dendropark in Shymkent. My only previous sighting was in the Jardin du Palais Royal twenty years ago. If you don’t notice the patch of white on its neck you could dismiss it for the feral pigeons that you see everywhere. The patch is so distinct, though, that I don’t think I would miss it. Interestingly, these pigeons had a white patch on their necks, although central Asia has a large population of birds with cinnamon coloured patches.

I have a photo of the bird from Paris (they seem to like urban parks) but not much of a memory of its behaviour. This time I saw several fly together and land on trees near me. Some of them hopped on to the ground and began to forage; they are omnivorous, eating insects, leaves, grain, fruit, or flowers. I couldn’t see what they were pecking at. They are still considered fair game for hunters, and their large population is not endangered by this. Among the pigeons and doves whose ages have been recorded, this is the species in which an individual has been seen to live longest: over 17 years.

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There aren’t many places on WordPress where bird watchers can share posts. If you post any photos of birds this week (starting today and up to next Monday), it would be great if you could leave a link in the comments, or a pingback, for others to follow. You don’t have to post a recent photo, nor do you have to post a photo of the same bird as mine, but do use the tag “Bird of the Week” to help others find your post. For more information see the main landing page for this invitation.

Birds of the Week LXVIII