Bird Guide

Plumbeous Pigeon vs White-crowned Pigeon

Plumbeous Pigeon (Patagioenas plumbea)

Plumbeous Pigeon

Patagioenas plumbea

Medium179 gForest

The plumbeous pigeon is 34 cm (13 in) long and weighs 172 to 231 g (6.1 to 8.1 oz). Males have a dark gray head, neck, and underparts that sometimes have a pinkish or purplish tinge. The shoulders, back, rump, wings, and tail are dark grayish brown to drab olive. The hindneck sometimes has bronzy spots. The eye is red and surrounded by bare purplish red skin. The female's purplish wash is less intense and the neck spots more intense than the male's. Juveniles are duller than the adults, with very little purplish wash, and some feathers have rusty edges. Voice: The general pattern of the plumbeous pigeon's song is "a repeated rhythmic phrase of 2–5 coos" and the call is "a purring, drawn-out, slightly overslurred 'rrrrrow'." There are at least five distinct vocal groups whose songs are variations on the general pattern.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Niels Krabbe · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Marcelo Schmidt Roberti · CC BY 4.0
White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala)

White-crowned Pigeon

Patagioenas leucocephala

Medium240 gWoodland

The white-crowned pigeon can measure 29–35 cm (11–14 in) in length, span 48–59 cm (19–23 in) across the wings, and weigh 150–301 g (5.3–10.6 oz). It is around the same size as the common rock pigeon, but weighs a bit less since it is generally less chunky and has a relatively longer and more square tail. Adult birds' plumage varies from a slate gray to an almost-black color. Its iridescent collar-patch is notably only seen under good lighting, shining a barred white pattern with green.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Mike Brady · 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: Plumbeous Pigeon and White-crowned Pigeon.