Band-tail, Pigeon of the Woods

BirdNote^®

Band-tail, Pigeon of the Woods

Adapted from a script by Frances Wood

This is BirdNote.

[Sounds of Band-tailed Pigeon]

This soft whoo-whoo, whoo-whoo comes from a pigeon. But it’s not the kind of pigeon commonly found in cities; no, this is a Band-tailed Pigeon.

[Repeat calls and keep them running]

Band-tailed Pigeons are found mostly in low-altitude forests. Though fairly large — about the size of city pigeons — they can be shy and sometimes hard to see. The Band-tailed Pigeon is mostly gray with a shimmer of purple on its head and breast and a white crescent across the back of its neck. The “band-tail” of this beautiful bird refers to the dark charcoal stripe mid-way up its tail feathers.

These forest pigeons can sometimes monopolize a backyard bird feeder. They crowd out the chickadees and sparrows with their bulky bodies.

Strictly a bird of the western states, the Band-tailed Pigeon is decreasing in numbers. This is probably because the forests that the pigeons depend on have been removed.

So, the next time you hear this hooting, look up, and you may see a small flock of Band-tailed Pigeons in the trees.

For BirdNote, I’m Mary McCann.

Support for BirdNote comes from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, presenting its new “Bird Photography” online course, featuring Melissa Groo. Learn more at academy.allaboutbirds.org.
###

Producer: John Kessler

Managing Producer: Jason Saul

Editor: Ashley Ahearn

Associate Producer: Ellen Blackstone

Assistant Producer: Mark Bramhill

Narrator: Mary McCann

Calls of Band-tailed Pigeon provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Recorded by Websounds, T.A. Sanders.

© 2019 Tune In to Nature.org     June 2014 / August 2019 / June 2020

ID#062805BTPIKPLU       BTPI-01c