Bird Guide

Pale-vented Pigeon vs Spot-winged Pigeon

Pale-vented Pigeon (Patagioenas cayennensis)

Pale-vented Pigeon

Patagioenas cayennensis

Medium229 gForest

The pale-vented pigeon is 30–32 cm long and weighs normally 230–250 g. Adult males have a mainly dull purple head, breast and upperpart plumage, with copper glossing on the nape and a whitish throat. The lower back and tail are dark grey and the lower underparts are pale grey. The bill is black and the legs, iris and eyering are red. The female is similar, but duller than the male, and immatures are greyish-brown, very dull, and mainly greyish brown. The southern subspecies P. c. andersoni has white lower underparts, rather than the pale grey of nominate P. c. cayennensis.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Niels Krabbe · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Isis I. Castro Alberto · CC BY 4.0
Spot-winged Pigeon (Patagioenas maculosa)

Spot-winged Pigeon

Patagioenas maculosa

Large347 gWoodland

The two subspecies of spot-winged pigeon differ significantly in their plumage. The nominate P. m. maculosa is 32 to 33 cm (13 to 13 in) long and weighs 308 to 347 g (10.9 to 12.2 oz). The adult male's forehead, crown, nape, hindneck, and breast are mostly dull purplish pink and the rest of the head and underparts are gray. The upper back and wing coverts are dark brown and show creamy white spots. The wings are mostly black above and pale gray below. The lower back and rump are bluish gray and the tail dark gray. The adult female is similar but the head and neck are generally duller. Voice: P. m. maculosa's song is "a rhythmic series of very hoarse-sounding coos...'cuuuuu uh-cuh-cuuuh...' repeated two or three times. Its call is "a repeated growling 'grwhoh'". P. m. albipennis's song is "a gruff 'rrrrrow grr-g’RRRR grr-g’RRRR grr-g’RRRR'" and its call a "short 'corw'".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ezequiel Vera · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Pale-vented Pigeon and Spot-winged Pigeon.